Lord of the Evolution: Fellowship of the XMen
by Rurouni Tyriel
Summary: (COMPLETED) Follow the journey of Rogue as she travels to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring and end the evil of Apocalypse once and for all! See also the rise of the sinister Magneto and the formation of the Fellowship of the Ring.
1. Disclaimer

Disclaimer:  
  
I don't own X-Men Evolution, they are the property of marvel and KidsWB (I think) nor do I own Lord of the Rings, which was originally written by Tolkein and is now owned by lots of other people likely richer than I am. Please don't sue me, this is for entertainment value only, and I'm not making any money off of it. This is also a parody of Lord of the Rings, so obviously I will be using some (if not most) of the dialogue from the movie. Again, parody for entertainment value. I am also poor, so those who try to sue me likely won't walk away with a piesta. That said, enjoy. Positive and informative reviews welcome. Flames will be used to keep myself warm on cold nights. 


	2. Prologue: History of MiddleEarth

Prologue: History of Middle-Earth  
  
In ages past, there were forged great rings of power.  
  
Three were given to the elves, immortal, fair and wisest of all creatures.  
  
Seven were given to the dwarves, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls.  
  
And nine were given to men, who above all else desire power.  
  
Into the rings were poured the powers of the world and its elements, bestowing their bearer's rulership of their own domains. But all were deceived by En Sabah Nur. who forged yet another ring. The One Ring. In the fires of Mount Doom, the final ring was forged, and into it he poured his dark soul, his malice and his will to destroy all that was good in the world.  
  
One Ring to Rule them All.  
  
A final alliance of men and elves met on the slopes of Mount Doom and fought the legions of En Sabah Nur, who styled himself Apocalypse in recognition of his own desire to conquer and destroy the world. For days they battled, and victory seemed near for the defenders of Middle-Earth. But just when it seemed they would win, the First One himself entered the fray, armed with the One Ring, and shattered the ranks of the defenders of the world in seconds.  
  
In this moment, when all hope seemed lost, Nathaniel Summers picked up his fathers sword and with all his might clove Apocalypse's fingers from his body, bringing him the ring and defeating the monstrous lord, who's physical form shattered like broken glass.  
  
Nathan had that one chance, then and there, to end all evil by destroying the ring.  
  
But the hearts of men are easily swayed by evil and corrupted, and thus Nathan Summers took the ring for himself, bringing it back with him as he traveled back to his homeland of Genosha. But the ring was treacherous, and had a will of its own. En route to Genosha, Nathaniel Summers and his party were ambushed by orcs, and the ring slipped from Nathaniel's finger as he swam downstream. Out of reach, Nathaniel was unprotected and visible, and the orcs shot him dead with arrows.  
  
The ring passed out of knowledge as it journeyed down the river, lost to all.  
  
History became legend. Legend became myth.  
  
Finally, the ring was discovered by a loathsome creature known as the Toad. A vile monster, he took it and hid it away with him, deep in the caverns of the Misty Mountains, where the ring prolonged his life, even as it poisoned his mind. In time, darkness crept back into the world, and the ring felt its time had come. It abandoned Toad, but something then happened the ring had not intended. It was picked up by the most unlikely person imaginable.  
  
Raven Darkholme of Bayville. 


	3. Chapter One: Concerning Mutants

Chapter One: Concerning Mutants.  
  
In recent decades, many of the people of the world have noticed that among their own races, the dwarves, the humans and the elven, an new sub-race has emerged, dubbed by the wise as the mutants. People of extraordinary powers and gifts, able to lift up entire wagons or command the elements, to move like the wind or to fly amongst the clouds. Some even powerful enough to read and control the minds of others. Many looked as their parents, be they elf or human or dwarf. Some looked far different. Others could change between one or another, or many other forms in between.  
  
Initially viewed with distrust and even fear, much like the wizards, mutants are now commonly accepted as the people they are in these modern times. Though some mutant bandits and swindlers exist and are about, they are commonly viewed as those who have decided to use their gifts poorly. In Genosha, some mutants are even recognized for their abilities and given positions of leadership and command, and in the elven lands those of mutant blood are seen as blessed indeed. Even the King of Rohan, Peter Rasputin, is a mutant of some fame.  
  
In Bayville, mutants are all but unheard of, with the exception of the Smith families and its descendants, including the Darkholmes. They are widely regarded by their hobbit neighbors as an oddity and are thus ignored for the most part. There, mutation is treated like an ailment, and when mentioned, conversation is politely steered away from it. 


	4. Chapter Two: A Long Expected Party

Chapter Two: A Long Expected Party  
  
In Bayville, all was in an uproar as the villagers prepared to celebrate the 111th birthday of their most famous resident, the mysterious yet benevolent lady Raven Darkholme, a woman of quite some fame in the quiet village. Villagers were running all around Bayville, preparing for what was sure to be a night to remember.  
  
During all this confusion and planning, one young member of the village of bay was enjoying a quiet moment to herself in her favorite reading-spot, underneath the shadow of an elm tree.  
  
Rogue smiled to herself, absent-mindedly reaching back to brush a strand of her auburn hair out of her eyes as she scanned the pages. Rogue was alone so she'd elected to dress simply in a pair of tunic and trousers, forest green in color, matching her eyes and contrasting sharply with her pale skin.  
  
Today was a quiet day at her adopted mother's, so she'd elected to grab her favorite book and make herself comfortable in the woods.  
  
Suddenly Rogue paused, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head. She could've sworn she heard a strange. singing. And then she smiled, placing a leaf in his book to mark her page as she stood and started off to find the source of the singing, though she imagined she already knew the source.  
  
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A gray-robed man pulled back on the reins of his wagon, coming to a halt as young Rogue gracefully leaped up, grabbing a tree branch and flipping herself up atop of it, smiling down at the wagon, taking note of the many boxes stored in the back of the wagon as it rolled past the tree on the road.  
  
"Ya'll're late," said Rogue in mock seriousness, waging one of her fingers at the fellow in gray robes, who merely tipped his pointed, wide-brim hat back, showing his face. A face tempered by age, wrinkled here and there by sorrow, but by no means old just yet. Not one wisp of hair touched his scalp or chin that Rogue could see, save his bushy gray eyebrows.  
  
"My dear Rogue, a wizard is never late," he intoned, looking very solemn and serious. "Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to." And Rogue and gray wizard stared at one another, and then both burst out laughing as Rogue leaped down into a flying tackle of the gray wizard, careful to keep herself from actually touching her bare skin against his.  
  
"Xavier!"  
  
"Ah Rogue it is good to see you again!" as they shared a good-natured hug, and Xavier pointed shook his finger mockingly as he added "You don't think I'd've missed your Adopted Mothers birthday, do you?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So tell me how is the outside world?" asked Rogue excitedly as she sat beside Xavier in the wagon. "Tell me everything!"  
  
"Everything?" asked Xavier with a playful look of shock upon his face. Then he did appear thoughtful before he responded. "Well, what can I say? Life goes on, much as it has these past years, comings and goings. People seem scarcely interested in the existence of your kind here at Bayville," he said, glancing at the small Bayville marketplace as they rolled through it.  
  
Bayville was a quiet part of the world, mostly rural houses and farms, all populated by the hobbit people, short and stout but strong where it counted and skilled in the crafts of farming and food production. By some reckonings, Bayville was sorely lacking in modern technology and weaponry, but the inhabitants enjoyed the peace and quiet it brought. Bayville was content to remain behind the curtains in the play of life. Most hobbits were content to be born, live, and die in Bayville without so much as glimpsing the world beyond it.  
  
Xavier's smile, unnoticed by Rogue, faltered a little as he added under his breath "For which I am very thankful," and then he continued once more in his cheery voice "I hear it is to be quite a party your Mother is planning," he remarked as they passed by a cleared field. Nearby, a host of tents were being set up, and a proud banner was being raised that quite clearly read 'Happy 111th Birthday, Raven Darkholme.'  
  
"Tha whole place is in ahn uproar," replied Rogue. "Half of Bayville's been invited, and the other half is showin' up anyways."  
  
"I see."  
  
"She's planning something tonight."  
  
"Oh really?" asked Xavier with something of a sly smirk.  
  
"Oh ahlright keep yah secrets. Before you came along we Darkholmes were well-thought of, before you exposed my Mama's secret and cause that trouble."  
  
"If you are referring to the incident with the dragon," he said, half serious. "I was scarcely involved. All I did was nudge your mother in the right direction. The rest was entirely her own decision. She chose to use her gift to benefit herself and her companions well."  
  
"Well, whatever ya'll did, ya've been officially labeled a 'disturber of the peace'" she said with wicked smirk. Xavier frowned, casting a glance at the nearby home, where the owner, a stout fellow, gave him a frown and a baleful glance. Xavier frowned, shrugged his shoulders, and gave the horse a tap to move onward.  
  
Children suddenly started running through the fields, yelling "Xavier! Xavier! It's the wizard!" for Xavier was not only known as a friend of the Darkholmes, but even before that he'd been known for his small gift with fireworks, and the children had hoped to see some. But as his wagon rolled past the children without even pausing they let out a disappointed sigh.  
  
Xavier smirked, decided one small little fire-cracker couldn't hurt, and set off a small one just behind the wagon, bringing cheers from all the children involved, especially one small girl with dark hair who tossed up a green and red firecracker from her bare hand in response, waving to Xavier, who tipped his pointed hat in response.  
  
Rogue just smiled.  
  
"Ya'll and your old tricks," she said mockingly. "Ya'll're worse than Mystique, always up to something. But it is good to see you again, Xavier." She added as she gave him another brief hug and leapt gracefully off of the wagon, sprinting off on her own business.  
  
"It is good to be here again," remarked Xavier to no one in particular, as he neared the home of Mystique and his wagon came to a halt.  
  
A sign on the front said "No Visitors Except on Party Business."  
  
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Xavier frowned as he stood up from his wagon, leaning on his staff from support, dragging his left leg behind him. An accident in the past, one he preferred not to think about, had robbed him of the use of his left leg. He hobbled his way over to the small door of his friends house and gave a friendly knock with his staff.  
  
"GO AWAY!" came an unearthly howl from behind the door. Xavier raised an eyebrow, though he did not seem terribly frightened by the strange noise. "I HAVE NO DESIRE TO SEE ANYMORE WELL WISHERS OR DISTANT RELATIONS!"  
  
"And what of very old friends, Mystique?" asked Xavier, smiling to himself. A few seconds later the door opened and Raven Darkholme, Mystique herself stepped out. Xavier noted she'd chosen to keep her guise as a young woman close to Rogue's age, tan skinned with violet hair flipped to one side of her head, but still with her usual golden, cat-like eyes. She was dressed in a simple red dress, obviously not having expected visitors.  
  
"Charles?" she asked hesitantly, looking up at him in surprise. Then her look changed to joy as he nodded and they shared a heartfelt hug, united after almost three decades since they'd last seen one another. Xavier smiled, gently drawing back as he took a closer look at Mystique.  
  
"One hundred and eleven years old, my word Mystique. you hardly look a day over fifteen. What's with your guise?" he asked, smiling.  
  
"I just enjoy this one," she said, twirling around and giving a curtsey like an accomplished actress, which she was. "It makes me feel so young and alive. Besides, this way Rogue and I can wander Bayville and search for young men together," she added with a giggle. Xavier joined in with a chuckle as she led him inside of her home, Xavier hunched over so he wouldn't bang his head on the low, hobbit-sized ceilings, not designed for men and wizards. Mystique took his hat as he offered it to her, hanging it up as she talked about this and that, leading Xavier into her kitchen to share a cup of tea.  
  
Suddenly a swift knock came from the door, and Mystique gave a tiny shriek, hiding behind a wall out of the window's view, even as a harsh voice came from outside.  
  
"Raven Darkholme! Come out this instant before I beat you into the ground!" it stated in harsh tones.  
  
"Cursed Mathews," she hissed, hiding out of view of the window. Eventually the voice stopped, along with the door pounding, and they concluded that their "guest" had left. "That clod has been hanging around here just waiting for me to die so he can have my nice home. I simply must get away from all these annoying neighbors. Somewhere quiet and peaceful where I can rest and finish my book."  
  
"Then you mean to go through with your plan," asked Xavier, sipping his tea as he watched the young lady in front of him go about preparing. "The whole plan?"  
  
"Yes yes," she replied hastily, flipping her violet bangs out of her eyes. "Everything has been arranged."  
  
"Rogue suspects something," he added.  
  
"Of course she does," replied Mystique with a smirk. "She's a Darkholme, not some idiot hobbit mutant. Twice as wise as I'll ever be, and stronger than she'll ever realize."  
  
"She's very found of you, you know"  
  
At this Mystique sighed, lowering her head as she made her way to the window, suddenly very tired.  
  
"I know. I imagine if I asked it, she'd likely come with me. Xavier. I need to show you something," she added, carefully positioning herself under the high ceiling and revealing her true form.  
  
Xavier had seen Mystique's true form before, so it did not startle him as it did others. Blue scales covered Mystique's body from head to toe, and her eyes were even more cat-like now, golden and slit-pupiled, dark and bright at the same time. Her hair shifted, growing longer down her back and a bright red in color. But what puzzled Xavier the most was that Mystique looked as young and fresh as she had the day they'd first met, nearly fifty years ago.  
  
"You haven't aged a day," he remarked quietly, frowning.  
  
"I know I don't look old, but I feel old. I feel. thin." she confessed, idly fiddling with the pocket of her blouse. "I need a holiday. A very long holiday. And I don't expect to return to Bayville. in fact I mean not to."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Mystique smiled over at Xavier, back in her youthful form, blowing on a pipe with her friend, which she hadn't done in ages.  
  
"Xavier my old friend. This is going to be a night to remember." 


	5. Chapter Three: BaddaBing BaddaBang go th...

Chapter Three: Badda-Bing Badda-Bang go the Fireworks.  
  
An explosion rippled through the night air, drawing yet another gasp and cheer from the crowd of hobbits as they celebrated, drinking, eating and making merry in celebration of Raven Darkholme's birthday. To avoid confusion, Mystique had adopted a slightly older, more mature look for herself, dark haired and pale skinned with a few wisps of gray and a few wrinkles, so she wouldn't receive quite so many gasps of shock and exclamations of "Oh, how young you look!" It also made things easier for Rogue, who'd decided to wander off and have fun with some of her friends as Mystique greeted her guests.  
  
Especially Kurt Wagner, her best friend. Rogue smiled, flopping down alongside him at the makeshift bar as he nursed an ale, staring wistfully at the ebon beauty dancing alongside all the others, but with none of their clutz or rush. She danced like an angel with elven. in Kurt's eyes, at least.  
  
"Come on Kurt," said Rogue, giving him a playful slap on the shoulder. "Go and ask 'Manda for a dance." Kurt glanced at her as if she'd gone mad, idly contemplating with a look of depression.  
  
Kurt Wagner was, like Rogue and Mystique, a mutant. Unlike most mutants, however, he was visible as such from a considerable distance away, covered in dark blue fur as he was. His feet and hands only had three fingers each, his ears carried a slight point, and a long thin tail peeked out from the back of his trousers, with a spaded tip. His blue tint and yellow eyes made him very awkward around others, especially as a child when he'd been dubbed "Demon-boy." Thus, even talking to Amanda Sefton, the woman he'd loved from childhood, was something he considered out of reach. Something else was much closer.  
  
"I, uh. I think I'll just have another ale," he replied, reaching out with one of his three-fingered hands for the stein. Rogue wouldn't have any of it as he grabbed him by the shoulders, spinning him around to face the dancers.  
  
"Oh no ya won't. If ah can't have any fun dancing, you sure as hell should!" she grinned as she pushed him right into Amanda as she danced by, who grabbed Kurt and drew him awkwardly into the next dance and the two of them smiled. Rogue smiled as well, happy for her friend.  
  
She was glad one of them at least could touch.  
  
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Elsewhere, Xavier was busy gathering more of his fireworks from the back of his wagon. Unable to carry many himself, needing one of his arms to keep himself upright as he did, he was being assisted by the little girl from earlier, named Jubilee. Unnoticed by him, two heads suddenly popped through the wall of a tent. And then, without disturbing the tent, two young women slipped through and onto the ground.  
  
The first girl was young and very small, even by the standards of the hobbit community, barely two and a half feet high. She was dressed in a black and purple blouse and trousers and her long brown hair was done up high in a ponytail. Her companion was a more open sort, dressed openly in a flaming pink blouse, the first two buttons left undone so a view of her cleavage was easily viewed, and a pair of dusky leather trousers. Her cheeks were rosy, and her own golden locks burst out from behind her head like one of the firework explosions overhead.  
  
"Come on quick," she said to the first girl, helping her into the wagon. She landed with a soft oomph as she quickly grabbed a nearby sparkler and held it up for the second girl to see.  
  
"No no, the big one!" she replied, shaking her head. Smirking, her companion found it. a large red firework shaped like a dragon, and the brown-haired girl grabbed the blonde's hand, and the two of them quickly vanished through the tent wall again, not even disturbing the fabric as they slid through it as easily as air.  
  
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Mystique smiled as she greeted yet more of her guests, friends and neighbors, then frowned as she spotted the bothersome Duncan Mathews and his wife, Taryn, slipping quietly behind a tent and sliding underneath it as a mouse to avoid them, then reverting to her adopted form for the evening.  
  
Later, she found herself once more telling some of her tales of her journey to the Lonely Mountain to some of the younger members of Bayville community, recalling one of her more favorite parts of the tale.  
  
"So there the dwarves were," she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she weaved her tale to the young ones. "All nicely bagged for all three horrible trolls, all arguing over who would eat whom and how they would cook them. So I used this to my advantage, you see, and tricked them."  
  
"We should roast them on a spit," said Mystique, flawlessly imitating one of the trolls with the exact booming, sinister voice.  
  
"Nah, we should sit on them one by one and squish them into jelly," she said, now imitating a second troll, her voice the same as that night so long ago. She kept going, showing how the trolls argued thanks to her intervention.  
  
"And so finally," she added in her own voice once more with a dramatic "Poof. They sun came up, and turned them all into stone!" And the children laughed, and she did as well, smiling to herself as she remembered her adventuring days.  
  
How very long ago it had been.  
  
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The young pony tailed girl from earlier smirked to herself as her companion, the buxom blonde, lit the fuse to the firework they'd swiped earlier, thanks to the brunette's phasing abilities they hadn't even been noticed. Her smirk faded when her companion turned to her with a somewhat confused expression on her face.  
  
"Okay, what do we do with the firework now?" she asked, pushing it over towards the brunette, who caught it.  
  
"Like, put it in the ground!" she replied hastily, noting that the fuse was shorter than they'd thought. She pushed it back towards the blonde.  
  
"It is in the ground!"  
  
"I mean outside!"  
  
"This was your idea!"  
  
With a loud whistle the firework settled their argument for them, launching itself up through the roof of the tent they were in, taking the tent with it as it flung the two girls to the ground, soot covering their faces as the firework roared up into the sky. Partially up, it transformed into a bright gold-red shimmering dragon, which hurled itself up, and then started to swoop around in a circle, towards the partygoers. Everyone watched in shock at the sight of the dragon, then started to run for their lives. Rogue grabbed her adopted mother and dragged her to the ground as the dragon roared overhead, spiraling out of control over the waters of the lake and then burst in a magnificent explosion than brought up yet another cheer from the (now less frightened) party-goers.  
  
In the midst of this, the two girls stood and dusted themselves off, unaware of a figure limping his way behind them.  
  
"That was great," remarked the brunette with a smirk and a slightly dazed expression, her hair frizzled.  
  
"Yeah. let's get another one," replied the blonde. Before either of the troublemakers could go, however, a pair of hands grabbed them both by their ears, holding them in place as Xavier the Gray peered down at them.  
  
"Katherine Pryde. and Tabitha Smith. I might've known," he said with a wry smile.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Like, brilliant plan Tabby. "Oh, lets go and steal one of Xavier's fireworks. He'll like never notice." Sheer brilliance."  
  
"I didn't hear you complaining at the time," retorted the blonde, scrubbing dishes as she was. "Rrrr. stupid wizard." Kitty nodded, but kept her mouth shut as she brought Xavier his tea, who was keeping watch on the two troublemakers as all the party-goers gathered around for Mystique's customary birthday speech.  
  
Mystique smiled as she stepped up atop of a turned barrel and spread out her arms for silence. "My dear Darkholmes and Prydes, Wagners and Smiths, Masters, Aquilla's, Guthries' and Duke's. Today is my one hundredth and eleventh birthday!" she exclaimed, and everyone cheered, wishing the proud lady a happy birthday. Even the Mathews family in the very back, though they'd caught the fact that she'd deliberately skipped their names in the welcome.  
  
"Alas, one hundred and eleven years is hardly enough time to live among such admirable hobbits as yourselves. I know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like you half as well as half of you deserve," she went on, pleased with her glib tongue. The inhabitants frowned, not entirely sure if they'd been insulted. Rogue just smiled, knowing her mama had something big planned. she was building up to it. Then her smile faltered, just a little, as her mama frowned, seemed to hesitate. Her hand strayed towards the pocket in her blouse.  
  
Xavier noticed it as well, and frowned.  
  
"I. I have an announcement to make," Mystique stated boldly, her golden eyes darting about as she fingered the ring in her pocket. "I regret to inform you that this... is the end. I'm going now. I bid you all a fond farewell."  
  
And with that, Mystique vanished into thin air.  
  
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Mystique smirked to herself as she strode, invisibly, out of the party and back home, enjoying the look on her neighbors faces as they all showed such utter shock. She could hear them all talking as she made her way back home, and none realized she was there.  
  
"She's daft, I always knew she was."  
  
"Can she also make herself invisible? I thought she could only change her shape, not vanish!"  
  
"Maybe she teleported, like that Kurt fellow."  
  
"I hope Auntie Mystique comes back again, like she did the first time, with all that treasure!"  
  
"She's crazed. I always knew she was."  
  
As she passed by, Mystique sighed, giving Rogue a very faint brush of her fingertips to her daughter's auburn hair as she strode past and back into her home, removing the ring as soon as she was inside with a chuckle. Smiling, she tossed the ring and caught it, resuming her true shape. Apart from the brief show she'd given Xavier, she hadn't assumed her true form in what seemed like ages. It was most relaxing to rest her aching muscles. Quickly she gathered her things, as all the preparations had been made, signed her final will and placed it in an envelope on the fireplace. Then she headed for the front door.  
  
"I suppose you think that was rather amusing," intoned Xavier, causing Mystique to give a jump as she turned to face him. He sat in a chair by the door, watching her, his staff at his side, his fingers forming a tent as he seemed to be contemplating.  
  
"Did you see the look on their faces?" chuckled Mystique as she finished with the very last of her things, partially ignoring the bald wizard.  
  
"There are many magic rings in this world, Mystique, and none of them should be used lightly," he replied, his expression grave.  
  
"It was just a bit of fun," she started, but then saw his expression and relented. "Oh I suppose you're right. You always are. You. you will keep an eye on Rogue while I'm away, won't you?"  
  
"Two eyes," he corrected with a faint smile and a nod. "As often as I can spare them. You have left the ring for her?"  
  
"Yes yes," she replied hastily, eager to be gone. "Its there on the mantelpiece. no. wait, here it is in my pocket," she added, her voice growing hollow in surprise as she took the ring out. "Well, isn't that strange? And yet. why should it be? Why shouldn't I keep it? It's my ring! I found it!"  
  
Xavier frowned, gently replying, "There is no need to get angry," calmly. Mystique frowned, turning to face him, her expression mixed between fear and anger. "Is it so hard to part with?"  
  
"No no, of course not. and yes. Yes, it is. It is mine. my only. My. precious," she hissed, her eyes glowing golden in the dim lamplight that illuminated the small home. Xavier's frowned, his eyes growing narrower by the moment.  
  
"Precious? It has been called that before, Mystique. but not by you."  
  
"So what if Toad did say such?! IT IS MINE NOW!" she growled, her form shifting, growing larger, her skin blue and reptilian once more as she grew larger than Xavier with red, pupilless eyes and a wide, fanged mouth.  
  
"MYSTIQUE!" Xavier roared, his voice sending chills down her spine. "Do not mistake me for a conjurer of cheap mind tricks and firecrackers!" he shouted, sending out psychic ripples as he did, making him seem, though no bigger, that much more impressive and intimidating to the suddenly cowering Mystique. "I am NOT trying to rob you!" he added, and then eased down his psychic blasts as Mystique crawled towards his chair, back in her original form, looking for all the world like a lost, scared child. Xavier gently placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"I am trying to help you," he said calmly, his face kind.  
  
"You. you're right, Xavier. Old friend, you are right. I..." and here she paused, fondling the ring, eyeing it once more in her hand before she managed to tilt her hand and let it fall with a heavy thud to the floor of her home. Before her resolve failed her, she stepped outside, and breathed in the cool, night air, feeling for all the world as if a great burden was lifted from her shoulders. Xavier followed, leaning on his staff to keep his balance.  
  
"I've thought of an ending for my story," smiled Mystique as she turned back to Xavier, shifting back once more into her young, purple-haired form. "And she lived happily ever after. until the end of her days."  
  
"Fare you well, Mystique," said Xavier. "I will handle Rogue."  
  
"Thank you, old friend," she added and started on her journey back to the mountains. She did not look back, and was not seen again in Bayville for many years.  
  
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Rogue arrived home much later that night, after seeing the guests to Mystique's party off. She found Xavier alone in the home, his fingers tented as he stared into the fire, deep in thought, mumbling to himself.  
  
"Riddles in the dark," he murmured.  
  
"She's gone, isn't she?" asked Rogue, cautiously coming in, as her foot struck something. Frowning, she reached down, picking up the ring.  
  
"Indeed," replied Xavier. "She's left this home for you, and everything in it. Including that ring."  
  
Xavier and Rogue went over the formal arrangements of the will and all, sliding the ring (which Xavier did not touch) into an envelope, which Rogue hid away. Then Xavier, in a strange rush, made his way to the door, grabbing his hat on the way out.  
  
"Where ya goin'?" inquired Rogue as Xavier made his way swiftly (as swiftly as an old man with one useless leg could) to the door, heading towards his wagon.  
  
"I have to take care of things. Questions that need answering," he replied, pausing momentarily to give Rogue a pat on the shoulder and a warning. "Never put the ring on. Keep it secret, keep it safe."  
  
And with that, Xavier was gone, riding his wagon as quickly as the horse could pull it, leaving a stunned Rogue watching from the door of her new home, confused. and scared. 


	6. Chapter Four: Gathering Darkness

Chapter Four: Gathering Darkness  
  
Shrieks and howls echoed throughout the caverns and walls of the black tower of Mordor. Cries of pain, generally ignored in the cursed land of shadow. Two words, however, caught the attention of everyone concerned.  
  
"Bayville!" and "Darkholme!"  
  
As the black gates of the tower opened up, nine black horsemen rode out, seeking what their master desired.  
  
Xavier frowned, seeing the baleful fire that rose from the mountains surrounding Mordor, turning his white steed and urging it even faster. One answer he had now. Now, just one more fear to confirm.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Xavier stumbled through the ancient library, seeking the papers he desired, tossing aside those he did not, seeking, urgently, answered to confirm his most dread fear.  
  
Finally he found what he'd been seeking, an account of High King of Genosha, Nathaniel Summers, three thousand years old, from the last battle with Apocalypse. It read: 'It has come to me, the Ring of Power. It shall be an heirloom to my kingdom. I will not part with the ring. It is precious to me. The words that once shone as bright as flame have now dimmed, a secret now that only fire can reveal.' and here Xavier paused, rubbing his bald plate, and then started. This was the answer he needed. Swift was his departure from the library.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
At an outlying farmland near Bayville, a woodcutter was out doing his late night work when a sudden chill came over him, and he turned.  
  
A rider in black, astride an armored horse of the same color, turned to face him, speaking in a voice that chilled him to the marrow. "Bayville. Darkholme." it hissed from within its dark hood, and the woodcutter was unable to see its face. His own dog cowered in fear, retreating into his house at the sight of the black rider.  
  
"There're no Darkholme's here," replied the woodcutter, dropping his ax in fear. "They live in Bayville. that way!" he all but shouted, and much to his relief the rider and his companions, as swiftly and as silently as shadows, flew past his dwelling, heading towards Bayville.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Meanwhile, at an inn in Bayville, the people were still making merry, many months after the great and bizarre Raven Darkholme had vanished into thin air. Kitty and Tabitha had started an impromptu dance atop one of the tables, singing a song as they proceeded to get good and drunk. And Kurt found himself in the company of the elders of the town.  
  
"There've been many unsavory characters 'round here," intoned Edward, an elderly hobbit with white hair and a pair of thick spectacles on his nose. "Dwarves and other equally unpleasant folk."  
  
"War is surely brewing," agreed the fellow next to him, looking for all the world like his brother.  
  
"Nonsense!" argued Alex, the owner of the establishment and a tanned fellow in his prime, with bright blonde hair and a heavyset frame. "You're starting to sound like that silly lady Raven. Crazed, she was. And her daughter Rogue here," he smiled up at her as she brought some more mugs to the table in question "Is likely going crazed."  
  
"And ahm proud of it!" replied Rogue as she sat down, pointedly kicking Alex in the leg under the table as she did so. Alex wisely chose to ignore it as he accepted his own ale from the impromptu barmaid.  
  
"What goes on beyond our borders," Alex said as he went on. "Is none of our concern. Don't trouble others, and no trouble will come to you," he said, with a general response from all those at the table. Except for Kurt, who seemed to always keep his eyes always on Amanda as she tended the bar. Always. except when she looked back and smiled. Then he would turn his head away.  
  
Finally the night wore thin, and many farewells were wished as Rogue and Kurt made their way home. On their way out, Kurt frowned as one of the patrons (more drunk than most) paused to kiss Amanda's hand on the way out, and Kurt's fur bristled.  
  
Recognizing her friend's sign of anger, Rogue steered Kurt away, whispering into his ear "Don't worry Kurt. Amanda knows an idiot when she sees one. Well, see you tomorrow!" and with that Rogue made her way back home, giving Kurt a farewell wave.  
  
Kurt frowned, thinking about what Rogue had said. "She does?" he implied to the air, glancing back at Amanda. Rogue's word had, though meant to lighten his mood, only deepened his depression. And so, instead of simply teleporting, he elected to walk home, so the cool night air could clear his thoughts.  
  
On his way home, he spotted a strange horse and rider approaching Rogue's home.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rogue stepped inside, still smiling to herself as she shrugged off her vest and flung out her bare arms, glad that no one was nearby for her to harm with her deadly touch. Then she frowned, noticing all at once how cold it was in her home. And how dark. A window was still open, and all the lamps burnt out. Rogue suddenly felt very afraid.  
  
Suddenly a hand shot out of the darkness from behind and grabbed her shoulder (covered by her blouse) and spun her around. She was about to scream when the gray busy eyebrows of Xavier's distinct head came into view and he looked at her with utter horror on his face.  
  
"Is it secret? Is it safe?!" he asked a harsh whisper. Rogue nodded, bringing Xavier immediately to the chest where she'd kept the ring, still in its envelope. Quickly she picked it up and tossed it to Xavier, who without another word flung the envelope into the fire.  
  
"What're you doing?!" she exclaimed, grabbing the fire-poker, determined to fish out her inheritance. Xavier held out his staff, stopping her.  
  
"Wait." he intoned, and Rogue reluctantly paused. The envelope quickly melted away, revealing only the ring, which Xavier reached in with some tongs and picked out. "Hold out your hand, Rogue," he said. Rogue looked at him strangely, but trusted his judgment, holding out her gloved hand. "Its quite cool." he added as he dropped the ring into her hand. She started, but he was right. It was as cool as stone in her hand, she could feel it through her glove.  
  
"Now Rogue," he said, making his way over to a nearby chair to sit himself down. "Tell me, can you see anything on the ring?" Rogue frowned, turning it around in her hands, eyeing it up and down. She couldn't see anything at all.  
  
"No Xavier. Nothing at all," she said, and Xavier started to breathe a sigh of relief. "No wait. yes. There are markings. Its some form of elvish. I can't read it."  
  
"There are few who can," replied Xavier, his scowl growing deeper. "The language is that of Mordor. Which I will not utter here. In the common tongue it reads 'One ring to rule them all. One ring to find them. One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.'"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Xavier had drawn Rogue into the kitchen so they could properly discuss exactly what was happening. Rogue deserved some answers.  
  
"This is the One ring. Forged by the dark lord Apocalypse in the fires of mount doom," explained Xavier, eyeing the dark object, which was laid out on the table between them. "Taken by Nathaniel from the hand of Apocalypse himself."  
  
"Mystique found it. In Toad's cavern," said Rogue, her expression growing paler by the moment. She well remembered her mothers stories about Toad and the ring she'd found.  
  
"Yes. For 60 years it lay quiet in Raven's care. But no longer. The ring has awoken. It has heard its masters call."  
  
"But he was destroyed," said Rogue, now looking fearful indeed as she brushed the white lock of hair out of her eyes. "Apocalypse was destroyed."  
  
"No, Rogue. His spirit endured. The life force of En Sabah Nur is bound to the ring, and the ring survived. His fortress of Lazarus has been rebuilt. His orcs have multiplied. Apocalypse needs only this ring to free himself from his prison and cover all the lands in darkness and destruction once more. He is seeking it, all his thoughts bent towards this one, single purpose. Rogue. he must not find it."  
  
Rogue grabbed up the ring, strolling towards the kitchen door. "Ahlright. We'll hide it away, and nevah tell anyone about it. No one knows its here, do they." and here she paused, glancing back in horror at Xavier. "Do they, Xavier?"  
  
Xavier sighed, lowering his eyes and forming a tent with his fingers. "There was one other who knew that Mystique possessed the ring. I looked everywhere for the creature called Toad. But the enemy got to him first," another sigh escaped his frame, and for the first time Rogue saw just how truly old Xavier was. "I don't know how long they tortured him. Amongst his ramblings and cries of pain, they distinguished two words. 'Bayville' and 'Darkholme'"  
  
"'Bayville?' 'Darkholme?' But that would lead them here!" quickly Rogue thrust out her hand holding the ring towards Xavier. "Take it, Xavier."  
  
"No Rogue, please do not tempt me," he replied, recoiling from the ring like it was a serpent.  
  
"Please take it Xavier!"  
  
"Rogue, you cannot offer me this ring!" he responded, now a little angry and very fearful.  
  
"Ah'm giving it ta you!"  
  
"NO!" he roared, then calmed down as Rogue backed away. "Rogue, understand this. I would wield this ring from the desire to bring peace and good to the world, as I always have. But through me, the ring would wield its own power, terrible beyond imagination. I dare not take this ring. Not even to keep it safe." Rogue and Xavier regarded one another, both fearful, but determined. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Rogue spoke, her voice as soft as a mouse.  
  
"What must ah do?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rogue quickly packed her belonging (meager that they were) and grabbed her traveling cloak and coat, stuffing a few apples and a fresh loaf of bread into a backpack.  
  
"You must leave Bayville. The ring is not safe here."  
  
"Where must ah go?" she inquired as she grabbed her walking staff.  
  
"Go to the village of Bree. I shall meet you there, Rogue, at the Inn of the Prancing Pony," said Xavier as he hauled himself to his feet, and stepped towards the exit.  
  
"The Ring'll be safe there?"  
  
"I don't know, Rogue. I don't have the answers. I must contact my old friend. He is both wise and powerful. He will know what to do further. You will have to leave the name of Darkholme behind you. That name is not safe beyond Bayville."  
  
Rogue finished, placing the ring inside the pocket in her blouse, as her adopted mother Mystique had, and stood in front of Xavier, who smiled. He couldn't help but notice how Rogue looked almost exactly like her mother had, nearly sixty years ago, when she'd traveled with thirteen dwarves to the Lonely Mountain.  
  
"I know you'll do fine Rogue. You have your mothers strength in your eyes, and your own gifts will see you through your journey. I am confident you will do well." Rogue smiled at this.  
  
Suddenly their came the sound of tile shifting from near the window.  
  
Frowning, Xavier made his way to it, fearing one of Apocalypse's spies as his eyes narrowed and he stretched out with his mind. Rogue stood back fearfully. Finally, Xavier saw what he wanted. Frowning he reached out the window and onto the roof, grabbing the intruder by his neck and hauling him inside, depositing him roughly onto the table in front of him.  
  
"Confound it all! Kurt Wagner! Have you been eavesdropping?" he shouted at the startled blue demon, who held up his hands as if to ward off attack.  
  
"Nein nein, of course not," he replied hastily. "I, uh, just coming to uh. trim the hedges?" he offered meekly.  
  
"A bit late for pruning, don't you think?" replied Xavier with a raised eyebrow, well aware of the little lie. Not many could fool the wizard Xavier. "What did you hear?"  
  
"Nein! Nothing! That is to say," he rambled on. "I heard something about a ring and a dark lord and something about the end of the world! But nothing important!" he said, his blue fur shivering as he glanced back at Rogue for support.  
  
"Rogue," pleaded Kurt. "Please don't let him turn me into a vegetable. "  
  
"No..." said Xavier, with something of a faint smirk on his face as he leaned in to the fearful blue fuzz ball. "I've thought of a better use for you." 


	7. Chapter Five: Journey

Chapter Five: Journey  
  
"Come on Mr. Wagner, please keep up."  
  
Kurt grumbled to himself as he stumbled after Xavier and Rogue, carrying on his back many packs, feeling for all the world like a pack-horse.  
  
"Remember Rogue, the enemy has many spies," said Xavier as he led her and Kurt deeper into the woods, away from the main roads. "Birds, beasts, all answering to his call alone. You have the ring?" She nodded, patting her blouse over the ring. Xavier's expression became dead serious as he added "Never put it on. for the enemies servants will be drawn to its power. Always remember Rogue, the ring is trying to get back to its master. It wants to be found."  
  
Rogue nodded as Xavier mounted his horse and made his way towards the tower of Isengard, leaving Kurt and Rogue alone. The two of them proceeded to make their way out of Bayville and towards the village of Bree to rendezvous with Xavier.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kurt frowned as they crossed the fields, pausing momentarily as he glanced around the tall stalks. He and Rogue had only been traveling a few hours, and were still in Bayville, but Kurt was still worried, having never traveled far from home before. Frowning, he glanced around the talk stalks, but to his surprise, he couldn't see the auburn hair and green cloak of Rogue.  
  
"Rogue? Rogue?! Where are you?!" he called out. To his relief, Rogue walked around the very next corner, looking at him in confusion.  
  
"What's ahll the fuss about?" she asked, brushing back her auburn hair. Kurt frowned, lowering his eyes.  
  
"Just. something Xavier said," he replied, then scowled, doing a fairly decent Xavier the Gray impression. "'Don't you loose her, Kurt Vaugner. Keep her in sight and safe.''" Rogue chuckled at this.  
  
"Kurt, we're still in Bayville, what could possibly go wrong?" she asked. Moments later the fates answered her question by sending two trouble-making and well known hooligan girls crashing into Kurt and Rogue, sending them all tumbling to the ground.  
  
"Rogue? Hey Tabby its Rogue!" said Kitty as she shifted position, standing partially upright and dusting herself off.  
  
"Hey Rogue!" said Tabby as Kurt gently lifted her up and to one side, doing the same with Kitty to help Rogue to her feet, grumbling to himself about troublesome women.  
  
"What on earth ya'll doin' here?" Rogue asked, rubbing her bruised backside. Kurt frowned as he spotted Kitty and Tabitha grabbing up a bunch of carrots and lettuce heads they'd dropped.  
  
"You've been in the farmer Maggots crops again, haven't you frauleins?" he said accusingly. Suddenly they heard shouts from none other than farmer Maggot himself, waving his scythe as he shouted out about the troublesome hobbit thieves. Kitty and Tabitha quickly dropped their purloined goods into Kurt's hands as they and Rogue made a swift break into the stalks. Kurt frowned, glancing down at his hands in shock and quickly dropped the goods, making a run for it himself, barely teleporting out of the way of an enraged farmers scythe. He reappeared behind the three women running along.  
  
"I don't see what on earth he's so upset about!" yelled Kitty as she phased through the cornstalks, making much better time on the other three. "Its just a couple of carrots! He knows I'm a vegetarian!"  
  
"And those lettuce heads!" replied Tabitha as she rushed after her partner in crime. "And those potatoes from last week! Ooh and the radishes the week before!"  
  
"Yes Tabby!" shouted Kitty in exasperation. "My point is, he's like clearly over-reacting!" She gasped, screeching to a stop as she neared the top of the hill. Tabitha, not watching where she was going, slammed into her. Rogue slammed into them, and Kurt slammed into all of them, sending all four mutant hobbits tumbling down the hill to land in yet another tumble. They all groaned as they regained their feet, shaking their heads.  
  
"Ooooh" moaned Kitty. "I, like, think I broke something." she grimaced, holding up a broken carrot, then gave a smirk, happy it hadn't been her spine.  
  
"What vere you two frauleins doing in the farmer Maggots crops?" asked Kurt as he helped Kitty to her feet.  
  
"Like, nothing. It was just a short cut!"  
  
"A short cut to where?"  
  
"Mushrooms," said Tabby, still lying on her side with a better view of the ground. Thus began a scramble as Kurt, Kitty and Tabitha rushed towards the mushrooms growing fresh out of the ground. Rogue, however, paused on the road, glancing down into the trees which seemed somehow. darker.  
  
"We should get off the road.." she whispered. Her three companions hadn't heard her. And then Rogue shuddered, feeling a chill through her spine as the woods seemed to grow darker, longer. She could sense something. evil. coming.  
  
"Get off the road!" she shouted. Kurt and the girls quickly scrambled off of the road, hiding underneath a partially-exposed tree branch, out of view. All grew silent.  
  
A low neigh came assaulted Rogue's ears as a strange horseman and their steed grew close, a rider clad all in a black robe. The strange rider dropped to its feet, tilting its covered head this way and that, searching, seeking. It paused directly overhead Rogue and her companions, sniffing. It was as if it could smell them. Smell their fears. Rogue felt nauseous. She felt the ring in her pocket, felt tempted to use it. To turn invisible and run. To escape.  
  
Kurt stopped her seconds before she put the ring on, tossing a spare canteen in the other direction to distract the black rider, who chased after it. Rogue and the others escaped in the confusion, further into the woods.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As the night settled on the woods, Rogue and her three companions crept silently from tree to tree. Rogue hid behind one particularly tall elm, watching the road in horror. Two black riders stood on the road, still searching. Search for her, she was certain. Or rather, the ring.  
  
"That rider was looking for something, wasn't he?" inquired Kitty as she looked at Rogue strangely. "Or someone?" Rogue didn't reply right away.  
  
"I have to get out of Bayville," she replied after a long while. Kitty hesitated, but upon seeing Rogue's deathly pale face and frightened features, she only nodded.  
  
"Buckleberry ferry. This way. Tabby, let's move."  
  
Rogue, Kurt, Kitty and Tabitha ran through the woods, but as they ran past one such pair of trees one of the riders reared up their horse, shrieking like a banshee. Rogue fell to her feet. Kitty shrieked, grabbing Rogue and phasing them both through the ground, reappearing behind the rider as they made a break for the river. Tabitha frowned, cupping her hands and threw a miniature yellow ball of light in her hand, tossing it at another one of the horsemen. The ball exploded as it hit the ground, causing the horse to rear up in fear. Kurt quickly grabbed Tabitha's hand and teleported the both of them to the river, where they untied the only boat they found. Kitty and Rogue ran after them, pursued by one of the horsemen.  
  
"Come on Rogue hurry!"  
  
"Kitty move it! Now!!"  
  
Kitty and Rogue both made a leap for it, caught by the two others as their ship sailed just out of reach of the black riders, who shrieked once more in anger and headed off down the river towards the nearest bridge.  
  
"Nearest bridge is nearly ten miles away," said Kurt as he rowed across the river. "We've managed to gain some time on them."  
  
Rogue seriously hoped it was enough.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rogue and her three companions pulled up their cloaks and hoods as they neared the village of Bree, the rain pouring down over their heads. Kurt, in particular, seemed miserable in the cold, wet weather. Fur and water simply didn't mix very well. Rogue approached the gates, giving a knock on the gate. A small door opened as an elderly fellow poked his head out to gaze down at the four of them.  
  
"Four. hobbits? My oh my. Well go on and state your business, young master and ladies," said the old man.  
  
"We are traveling to the Prancing Pony," intoned Rogue, who frowned up at the gatekeeper with a dark expression. "Our business is our own."  
  
"Now now sir and ladies I meant no offense," replied the gatekeeper as he opened the gate fully to allow Rogue and the others inside "Come in, come in. We've been having all sorts of strange travelers on the roads these days."  
  
Rogue and the others wandered down the wet, dark streets, seeing all sorts of unsavory characters, humans and the like, for Bree was nothing like Bayville. All four of the companions felt. out of place and very small. Once they even had to stumble out of the way of a wagon as it roared past, nearly flattening Kurt's tail. Finally, however, Rogue spotted the Prancing Pony and led the others inside. A heavyset fellow smiled at them from over the counter, a giant of a man with a girth that made him seem larger, and a blonde mohawk atop of his head. He smiled down at them.  
  
"Hey there. Welcome to the Prancing Pony young masters. If you're looking for acco. accoma. uh, rooms, then we've got some just your size," he smiled down at them, still washing a mug. "What're your names?"  
  
"I'm." Rogue was about to say her full name, but paused, remembering Xavier's warning. She would need to think of an alternate name to be known by.  
  
"Marie," she finally said after a moments thought. "Marie Underhill," she added, calling upon a fairly unknown name from Bayville. Hopefully no one would recognize it. "We're friends of Xavier the Gray, can you tell him we've arrived please?"  
  
"Xavier.. " pondered the giant, rubbing his hairless chin. And then his eyes lit up. "Oh yes. Bald fellow, has a limp, wears a pointed hat he does, am I right?" Rogue nodded, smiling. Her smile faltered as the fellow added "Not seem him in six months."  
  
Rogue sighed, and she and the others grabbed a table to wait for the errant wizard to arrive. Meanwhile Kitty and Tabitha, ever adept at the bar environment, managed to get themselves drunk in very little time, while Kurt, better adept at drinking whilst keeping sober, kept his guard over Rogue, watching all of the dark customers in the bar for signs of danger.  
  
Unfortunately the only customers who weren't dark were Bayville foursome.  
  
"Rogue," whispered Kurt with a nudge, then he indicated one of the dark corners of the tavern. "That fellow's done nothing but watch us since we came in here. He doesn't fool me with those glasses of his."  
  
Rogue frowned, following Kurt's view to a dark fellow in a black and brown cloak, the hood drawn up over his head, his face shadowed. He wore a pair of wire-rim spectacles, fitted with pieces of ruby-glass. Rogue was surprised he could see, but she could sense it too. The stranger was watching her.  
  
Rogue caught the arm of Frederick Dukes, the gargantuan bartender as he made his way past. "Pardon me sir," she said. "Who is that fellow in the corner there?" she asked, indicating the strange in red glasses. Fred seemed a little fearful of speaking as he cleared his throat.  
  
"He's one of them rangers. Dangerous folk they are, or so I've heard. What his name is I've never heard, but 'round here they simply call him Cyclops." Fred strode off again to see to more customers, and Rogue idly fiddled with the ring, until something caught her ear.  
  
"Darkholmmme?" came the slurred voice of Tabitha. "'course I know a Darkholme! Over therss." she pointed at Rogue, who looked at her in shock. "Namesss ROgue silly thing." she giggled as Rogue quickly got to her feet, making her way over to Tabitha to silence her before she could say anything stupid. "They call her "Untoussschable" 'cause she's a frigid little."  
  
"Tabby, no!" she said, reaching for her friend. One of the patrons knocked her aside, and Rogue fell hard onto her back, her hand flying up, unwittingly releasing the ring into the air. To Rogue's eye the ring seemed to fall in slow motion as she stretched out her hand to retrieve it, but the ring fell right onto her slender finger, and she vanished from view. 


	8. Chapter Six: Cyclops

Chapter Six: Cyclops  
  
Gasps and cries of astonishment went throughout the bar as Rogue vanished from view and everyone went to find her. From her own view, however, things were infinitely more terrifying. All was white and black shadows, this way and that as Rogue made her way about, trying to get somewhere safe to remove the ring. The black riders would be coming, sensing the power of the ring. Her hand clasped over it, but the ring had fallen over her brown glove, and now was caught against the leather.  
  
Then she saw something truly horrifying.  
  
A yellow, lidless eye, wreathed in flame, peering down at her through the shadows, making them fade before its awesome evil power. The eye grew closer, the flames stretching out towards Rogue, who backed away fearfully. Finally Rogue managed to wrench the ring off her gloved finger and the world thankfully returned to normal, the eye fading from view. Then a hand slapped down onto her shoulder and a harsh voice assaulted her ears.  
  
"You draw far too much attention to yourself, Ms. 'Underhill'," said the voice mockingly as it quickly grabbed Rogue around the stomach and hoisted her off, taking her away into a nearby room and closing the door. She saw to her shock it was the stranger who'd been staring at her before. And she noted that he was armed, a broadsword strapped to his waist. But she wasn't too worried just yet. One touch from her bare finger would render him unconscious, as her hand slid down to her wrist to grasp her glove.  
  
"You carry a rare trinket on you," he said, extinguishing the lights of the room. Rogue started, fearful that she had encountered one of the enemy Xavier had warned her about.  
  
"Ah carry nothin'," she retorted, frowning and drawing her glove off part- ways.  
  
"Indeed. I myself can move swiftly and unseen in the woods, but to disappear entirely," he smirks, bringing back his hood and revealing his face, his light brown hair just touching his temples, his smile honest and open. He didn't appear much older than her, but he towered over her, obviously human. His eyes remained hidden behind his strange ruby spectacles. "That is a rare gift."  
  
"Who are you?" she asked, her green eyes opening wide with fear and awe. Fearful, she dropped her glove back into place on her hand.  
  
"Are you frightened?" he asked softly.  
  
"Yes," Rogue replied truthfully.  
  
"Not nearly frightened enough. I know what hunts you. I." and here he paused, pushing Rogue aside and opening the door. Kurt, Tabitha and Kitty tumbled to the ground, clutching a variety of makeshift weapons, most notably Kurt's frying pan.  
  
"You have some spirit, Master hobbits," intoned the strange ranger, helping Kurt and the others to their feet. "But courage won't save you from those that hunt the Rogue here."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Shadows passed through Bree that night, four horsemen in black, armed with wicked broadswords, flowing as swiftly as the night into the inn at Bree, where even the Immovable Blob, Fred, cowered behind his bar and prayed for this wicked night to end. The wraiths made their way to into the room where a "Ms. Underhill" had taken up residence, drawing their swords and each taking a bed, raising their weapons over their unsuspecting victims.  
  
Then, in four swift strokes, it was all over.  
  
The wraiths removed the covers, shrieking in anger as they discovered only pillows underneath the covers, the hobbits gone. Howling like demons they fled, mounting their horses once more as they continued their search for Darkholme and the ring.  
  
Across the street, in another inn, Rogue and Cyclops watched from the window as the shadowy riders fled into the night.  
  
"What are they?" asked Rogue fearfully, her features even paler than usual. Kurt lay a reassuring hand on her shoulder as the strange ranger replied.  
  
"They were once men," he said, watching as they left on their ebon steeds. "Great kings, and rulers of their own lands. But Apocalypse tricked them, ensnaring them with his own evil, and brought them under his rule, turning them into the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, no longer human or mutant, living or dead. They are the Nazgul. Ringwraiths."  
  
Cyclops paused, glancing back over at Rogue and her companions. "Get some sleep, young masters," he said. "We leave early, and you'll need your rest. I shall watch over you."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The ranger Cyclops lead Rogue and the others out of Bree the next morning, paying the fearful giant Fred for the damages to his room in gold and then purchasing some meager supplies, leading the four hobbit-mutants out of Bree and westward.  
  
"Rogue," Kurt whispered to Rogue as their new ally walked out of earshot. "How can we be sure this Cyclops fellow is a friend of Xavier's?"  
  
"A servant of the enemy would likely look fairer and feel fouler," replied Rogue, still watching the strange ranger in a new light since the sun had arisen. "And, for some reason, I feel we can trust him. If not, Tabby has my full permission to shove a time-bomb down the back of his trousers," she added with a giggle. Fortunately neither Tabitha nor Cyclops heard. "Just vhere exactly is he taking us, I wonder?" asked Kurt quietly, still not fully trusting the stranger who never showed his eyes.  
  
"To Rivendell," he replied, without pausing, or looking back. "To the House of McCoy."  
  
They journeyed onward, through colder climes, where snow had fallen recently. Cyclops paused over one such on cropping, then frowned, glancing back at his companions, who seemed to be setting up for camp.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen," he said pointedly, gaining their attention. "We do not stop until nightfall."  
  
"What about breakfast?" asked Kurt, tilting his head in confusion. "I'm starving."  
  
"You already had breakfast," came Cyclops quick reply.  
  
"One yes," replied Kurt, "What about second breakfast?" he asked. Kurt was known to eat a great deal more food than most of his companions, and indeed most of the hobbits world-wide, already known for their voracious eating habits. He said it had something to do with his mutation, which explained how he ate so much and never gained an ounce.  
  
Kitty envied him for it.  
  
Cyclops grimaced, turning his eyes skyward behind his glasses and moved on, ignoring the hungry blue demon behind him. Kitty moved closer to Kurt as they packed up reluctantly.  
  
"I don't think he knows about second breakfasts, Kurt," she said.  
  
"What?" he replied, starting to grow frantic. "What about elvenses? Luncheon? Afternoon Tea? Dinner? Supper?! He knows about those, right?"  
  
"I wouldn't bet on it," she replied dryly. Suddenly an apple shot through the trees, which Kitty caught gracefully as Kurt watched. A second such apple beaned Kurt right between the eyes, since he hadn't been paying attention, and he fell to the ground before he scarfed down the entire apple like he'd been starving. Reluctantly he tightened his belt as they continued to travel onward.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Cyclops eventually lead the four companions to some abandoned ruins, great stones and the like, and helped them to find a shallow cave for the evening.  
  
"Here, little ones," he said, tossing them a small pile of short swords. "Keep these close, you may need them. Stay here. I'm going to go take a look around," he added, vanishing around the side of the hill. Kurt, Kitty and Tabitha eagerly dove into their short swords, admiring the feel of real weapons in their hands. Rogue, upon unsheathing her own weapon, couldn't help but compare it to her adopted mothers weapon Sting, which she'd sometimes played with as a child. By comparison, her current weapon was heavy and slow, and she hoped she wouldn't need to use it.  
  
One by one, the four fell asleep.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rogue's sleep was interrupted by the sounds of fire and late night conversation. Grumbling, she turned her head, her auburn hair a mess as her eyes opened wide in shock. Kurt and the others had started a smile fire and were roasting some tomatoes, sausages and crispy bacon over the fire.  
  
"What ahre ya'll doin'?!" she screeched, sitting upright.  
  
"Oh come on Rogue, ve saved some for you," replied Kurt, offering her a taste. Rogue grumbled, quickly getting to her feet and making her way over to the fire, stomping it out with her boots.  
  
"Put it out yah fools!" she half-shouted, trying to keep quiet, not wanting to draw yet more attention to the group. Suddenly a shriek cut through the air. A sound now all to distinct to the foursome. They headed to the edge of the cave, peering down fearfully. There, moving between the trees, five of the Nazgul were, effortlessly moving between the black trees and fog, shrieking in anger.  
  
Rogue and the others headed to the top into the ruins, drawing their swords, though none of them had even the faintest idea of how to use such weapons. Futilely Rogue cast her eyes about for the ranger, Cyclops, but he was no where to be seen.  
  
And then the five Nazgul were upon them.  
  
Strangely, much closer up, one could notice small differences between the Horsemen of Apocalypse. One was smaller, with a narrower frame than the others, and with withered, white skin, even paler then Rogues. Another's skin was green and sickly, the colored of the diseased. But the one that frightened Rogue the most was the first one, behind which rose two metallic black wings, and from the hood peered a pale-blue face, with eyes as cold as death.  
  
"Back you demons!" shouted Kurt, taking a rough swing with his sword. The first Nazgul swung out his wings to intercept the blow with an iron clang sound, then with a swift whoosh of its great wing sent Kurt flying against a nearby stone column, all but knocking him unconscious. Tabitha growled, charging up a small time-bomb in her hand, but another Nazgul knocked her aside, sending the time-bomb off to one side where it exploded against an overturned column. Kitty shrieked as she too was hurled aside by the ebon- winged Nazgul, who then proceeded to make his way towards the defenseless Rogue, who dropped her heavy short sword in horror, grabbing the ring from her pocket, hoping to turn invisible and escape these unholy monsters.  
  
Rogue slipped on the ring, but instead of vanishing from the wraiths view, she only became more visible. And they too, their black robes gone, replaced with the true images of them underneath, withered humans wearing crowns and robes of old, kings and queens all, now long dead. Their leader, the dark angel in a crown of pale gold, reached out his hand, and Rogue's hand carrying the ring stretched, against her will, towards the Nazgul leader. Rogue resisted, but the pull was too great, and slowly the ring made its way closer to the dark horseman.  
  
Finally, however, with a growl she wrenched her hand back. The Nazgul angel shrieked once more, piercing her shoulder with his black blade as Rogue twisted, avoiding a blow meant for her heart, but that hurt infinitely worse. The wound seemed on fire. But suddenly something broke past her view of the Nazgul, a dark shadow that flung itself into their midst. Weakened from the blow, Rogue managed to pull of the ring and restore her view to normal. To her vast relief, she saw an ally had entered the fray.  
  
Cyclops turned this way and that, moving with practiced grace and skill, parrying the blows of the Nazgul with his sword and setting their black robes alight with a flaming torch. The dark angel blocked such a blow with his sword, tossing it aside, but Cyclops reached up to his glasses, removing them for the first time, and Rogue first saw why he wore them.  
  
A bright ruby bolt of light shot from both eyes, merging into a single blast of radiant red energy, striking the Nazgul full in the chest, sending him flying through the air as if he'd been struck by a battering ram. The dark angel Nazgul managed to catch himself before he hit the ground fully, but elected to retreat. Cyclops quickly replaced his ruby glasses, blocking another Nazgul blade with his flaming torch and cutting inside his guard, setting his robes alight, causing another shriek of pain from him as he fled, leaping over the side of the hill down below. The other Nazgul were quickly defeated, either by the flaming torch or the Cyclops strange red eyes, sent howling off into the night. When all was over, Cyclops turned his attention to the wounded.  
  
Fortunately Kurt, Kitty and Tabitha had no serious wounds, only some bruises from being tossed around. Rogue, however, was in much more serious condition. Cyclops rushed over, grabbing the knife which had pierced her shoulder. Rogue's skin was deathly pale, her eyes lifeless and glazed over.  
  
"She's gone cold!" shouted Kurt as Cyclops rushed over to examine her.  
  
"She's been pierced by a morgul blade," said Cyclops, tossing the foul weapon aside as it disintegrated into ash. "This wound is beyond my skill to heal. She needs elvish medicine."  
  
Cyclops quickly picked up the much smaller girl in his arms, surprised at how light she was, and quickly carried her while the others followed alongside.  
  
"Rivendell's still six days away!" shouted Tabitha as they ran along.  
  
"Kurt?! Can't you like teleport Rogue their?!" asked Kitty as they rushed after Cyclops.  
  
"Nein! I've got a two mile limit! I'd never make it in time!" he shouted back.  
  
"Xavier!" cried out Rogue one final time before she lost consciousness.  
  
Cyclops and the others journeyed deeper into the woods, pursued always by the shrieking of the Nazgul, but they seemed to have shaken off any serious pursuit for the moment. Rogue's condition, however, continued to deteriorate. Kurt stood over Rogue briefly as she regained consciousness, trying to lighten her mood by pointing out one of the unusual oddities of the woods they'd discovered.  
  
"Look Rogue, its Raven's trolls," he said, giving one of the stone monsters a tap on the head. Rogue gasped for breath, and Kurt frowned, watching his best of friends dying before his eyes. Kurt grabbed Rogue's hand, which was colder than ice, even through the thick leather glove. "She's going cold!"  
  
"Is she going to die?" asked Kitty, sobbing on one corner, her eyes red from weeping.  
  
"She's passing into the shadow-realm," replied Cyclops, keeping an eye out for the Nazgul. "She'll soon be a wraith like them." Another shriek cut through the air, followed more by more howls of the Nazgul, still hunting the ring. Rogue, partially unconscious, could none-the-less hear them, and heard Cyclops determine her own fate if she were to fall victim to the poison Morgul blade. The thought horrified her all the more.  
  
"Kurt," called Cyclops, bringing the small blue fellow over. "Do you know of the efthelas plant?"  
  
"Efthelas?" he asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.  
  
"King's soil," Cyclops clarified, glancing nervously at Rogue.  
  
"Ja, its an veed," he replied, still confused. As a gardener, he was familiar with a wide variety of herb lore.  
  
"It may help to slow the poison. Kitty, Tabitha, keep an eye on her," he ordered the two girls as he and Kurt set off to find some kings soil. Finally, Cyclops managed to locate some, pulling out his knife to cut a leaf or two loose. Just as his knife cut the leaf, however, a sharp, curved blade touched his throat, the implications clear enough, even though the sharp end pointed away from his jugular.  
  
"What's this?" asked a soft, musical voice in a strange tongue. "A ranger, caught off his guard?" 


	9. Chapter Seven: White Rapids

Chapter Seven: White Rapids  
  
Rogue could barely keep herself conscious. She drifted in and out of dark nightmares, results no doubt of the poison as she went into a fever, all painfully aware of her condition. Thus, when white light filled the forest and a brilliant maiden entered her vision, she could've sworn she was dreaming.  
  
The strange woman was dressed simply in light green leathers, intricately designed to resemble ivy leaves, and her gaze was calm and compassionate, her expression one of sorrow as she regarded Rogue. She stretched out a hand, speaking in a strange tongue, but Rogue recognized her name here and there. Her hair was flaming bright red, the color of Bayville leaves in early autumn, more bright than anything. The light made Rogue dizzy, and once more she lost consciousness.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kurt, Kitty and Tabitha could do little more as stare at the strange woman helped Rogue atop of her white steed. As she did, her flaming red hair shifted, and they caught sight of her pointed ears.  
  
"She's an elf," whispered Kurt, always having been in awe of the fey. Primarily because, some had joked, he looked so much like them with his own small set of pointed ears.  
  
"She's fading fast," observed the strange elven lady as Cyclops quickly tore up some kings soil and applied it to Rogue's wound, careful not to touch her skin. The wound had was now stained an ugly black and purple, her veins visible underneath. "We must get her to my uncle."  
  
"I've been searching for you for days," she went on, even as Cyclops helped to strap Rogue down into the saddle behind the elven woman. "Five horsemen are behind you. Where the others are, I do not know."  
  
"Stay with the hobbits," said Cyclops in elvish. "I'll send a rider after you."  
  
"I'm the faster rider. I'll take him," she replied in the same tongue.  
  
"The Road is too dangerous," he replied, shaking his head.  
  
"If I can get across the river, my peoples power will protect us," she replied. Throughout the exchanged, Kurt, Kitty and Tabitha looked on, unsure of what they were saying.  
  
"I do not fear them," she added in common, to which Cyclops reluctantly placed his hand over hers and nodded.  
  
"Ride hard, and don't look back," he said, helping her to mount her horse and secure Rogue. The elven woman whispered something to her white steed and they were off like a shot, Cyclops and the others watching them go.  
  
"Vhat are you doing?!" shouted Kurt. "Those Horsemen are still out there!"  
  
"We have no choice," Cyclops replied. Then added, "But to hope."  
  
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Jean and her white steed made record time as they tore through the countryside, making towards Rivendell and her father. Rogue swayed in the saddle, unconscious for the moment, still fighting the poison, but it seemed that the kings soil had done its job and slowed the terrible toxins down.  
  
Still, Jean urged her horse even faster than ever.  
  
Suddenly, the nine horsemen were upon her, and her white steed ducked this way and that as the terrible Nazgul weaved in and out of the trees, seeking to capture her, her charge Rogue, and more importantly, the ring. Jean urged her mount, weaving in and out of trees to trick her foes, ordering her mount faster, but the steed was exhausted as they neared Rivendell, having traveled all day and night and into the next day to make it. Elven and enchanted though the steed was, it could only do so much.  
  
So it was Jeans turn. As one horsemen, an armored warrior in the customary black robes, reached out for Rogue, she stretched out her hand, sending the Nazgul flying out of his seat as if he'd been stuck by an invisible hand, crashing into a tree. It wouldn't harm him greatly, but it slowed him down considerably as he re-mounted his horse and once again gave pursuit. Jean did the same to any other Nazgul that got within reach, stretching out her hand to trip their mounts, knock them back in their saddles, unmounting them if she could. But she, like her steed, was growing tired.  
  
Finally, she saw her salvation in sight. The river.  
  
Jean all but leaped off of her horse as it veered away, carrying Rogue in her arms as they flew up into the air, using Jean's own powers to carry her and her charge across the river and out of the reach of the Nazgul, who halted at the rivers edge, shrieking in anger.  
  
One, the dark-winged angel from the night before, hissed at her wickedly.  
  
"Give us the halfling, she-elf," it hissed. Jean frowned, placing Rogue behind her and stood defiant, her flaming red hair waving in the breeze as she drew her curved sword.  
  
"If you want her," she replied defiantly. "Come and claim her." In response the Nazgul drew their own swords, and hurried into the river at Jean, who closed her eyes, whispering in elvish, calling upon the magic of the river, which flowed upwards into a tidal wave, rushing towards the Nazgul, who turned to flee. None escaped, however, as the flash flood encompassed them all, washing them downstream and away from Rivendell.  
  
Jean sighed, dropping her sword, then glancing back at Rogue in alarm, who's condition was getting even worse.  
  
"No Rogue, don't die. please. you're so close. Come back to the light.." she whispered. At that, Rogue's vision became a simple white blur, and she lost all track of time, or place, or anything other than the white light and Jean's face. Then her face faded, and another replaced it, a strange beast of a man with blue fur and pointed ears, speaking elvish, which she didn't understand. It seemed a much larger version of Kurt, she thought.  
  
She lost consciousness in the white light. 


	10. Chapter Eight: Betrayal

Chapter Eight: Betrayal  
  
. all at once the white light faded, and she awoke, opening her eyes slowly.  
  
"Where. where am ah?" Rogue asked groggily, sitting more upright.  
  
"In the House of McCoy," came a tired voice to her left. "And it is 10 o'clock in the morning, on October the twenty-fourth, if you want to know."  
  
"Xavier."  
  
"Yes I'm here," he replied, sitting in a chair by her bed, watching her with his kind eyes. Rogue smiled, shifting herself further up, then wincing in pain as she pulled at her wound, now cleaned and bandaged. It ached, but it was no longer as painful as it had once been. "And you're lucky to be here," he added. "Another few hours and you would've been beyond our aid. But you have some strength in you, my dear Rogue"  
  
"What happened, Xavier? Why didn't you meet us in Bree?"  
  
At this Xavier sighed again, more deeply, folding his fingers. "I am truly sorry, Rogue. I was. delayed."  
  
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Xavier raced through the woods on his steed, traveling as quickly as he could towards the tower of Isengard. As he approached the surrounding wall, he noted with some relief the huge metallic doors opened of their own accord, allowing him entry. A strange voice penetrated the air as he neared the tower itself.  
  
"Smoke rises from the mountain of doom, the hour grows late, and Xavier the Grey comes to Isengard, seeking my counsel. For that is why you are, here are you not?" The voice came from a strangely youthful fellow with white hair and strange dark eyes, dressed in a suit of red armor and a white cape. He slowly descended down the staircase of the tower, floating down on the air itself, his feet hovering over the steps. Magneto the White.  
  
"My old friend Charles," he said with a smile. Xavier returned the smile with a polite nod.  
  
"Eric."  
  
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"You are positive of this?" asked Magneto as he floated alongside Xavier, as they both strolled the gardens of Isengard.  
  
"Beyond a shadow of a doubt," replied Xavier as he limped after his good friend Eric. "All these long years, the ring was in Bayville. Under my very nose, no less."  
  
"And yet you did not have the wit to see it? Old age seems to have slowed your wits, my friend."  
  
"We still have time," he replied, ignoring his friends slighting remark. He well knew Eric was far older than he, he'd simply maintained his youth with his magic. Charles could've done the same, but he felt no need to do so. "Time to counteract Apocalypse's forces, time to..."  
  
"Time?" interrupted Magneto with a dark look at his friend. "How much time do you think we have?" Magneto lead Xavier into the tower, so they could properly confer without being observed by the spies of Mordor. "Apocalypse has regained much of his former strength. He cannot yet take physical form, not imprisoned as he is, but his eye is ever watchful. You know of what I speak."  
  
"The Eye of Apocalypse," replied Xavier with a grave nod.  
  
"He is gathering all things wicked and evil to him. Soon he will have gathered an army capable of wiping out the entire world."  
  
"You know this?" asked Xavier.  
  
"I have seen it," replied Magneto, who waved his hand. The steel doors to his left opened, and he led Xavier into a small, circular room where lay a pedestal and a piece of cloth covering something on it.  
  
"A seeing stone?" asked Xavier as he stumbled in after Magneto. "Such are dangerous to use."  
  
"Why should we fear it?" asked Magneto.  
  
"They are not all accounted for. We do not know who else may be watching," replied Xavier, who placed his hand over the stone in order to steady himself. To his shock, he caught a psychic flash. He saw the eye, briefly. He shivered in horror. Apocalypse had been watching.  
  
Magneto nodded, seating himself down in a nearby throne. He knew fully well what Xavier had just seen. "The hour is later than you think, old friend. Apocalypse's forces are already moving. He has released the Nine Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They crossed into Bayville just the night before, disguised as riders in black."  
  
"Bayville?" asked Xavier with a terrified look.  
  
"They will find the ring," continued Magneto, his expression unreadable.  
  
"And kill whoever has it."  
  
"Rogue!" Xavier said, making his way towards the exit. Magneto frowned, raising two fingers. The steel doors hummed, then quickly shut on Xavier. Xavier frowned, making his way to a second exit, but Magneto gesture again, and all the steel doors of the room closed shut, trapping Xavier within.  
  
"You do not seriously think a single hobbit, mutant or not, could contend with the will of Apocalypse," asked Magneto. "There are none who can. We have but one choice. To side with this evil, or be consumed by it. Join with me, Charles," said Magneto, holding out his hand to Xavier.  
  
"Tell me, friend," replied Xavier, ignoring the hand Magneto offered. "When was it that Eric Magnus Lensherr abandoned reason for madness?!" Magneto frowned, thrusting out his hand, causing one of the metal bars in the room to loop around Xavier's arms, pinning them at his sides. Xavier frowned, and shot out a psi-blast, causing Magneto to fly backwards, clutching his head in pain. Magneto growled, angry now, using his powers to send Xavier flying back and forth, slamming him into the walls.  
  
"This could have been easy on you, old friend." Magneto growled, his voice dangerously low now. "But you seem to have chosen the way of pain instead!!" he shouted, raising his hands, sending Xavier flying up through the air towards the very top of the black tower of Isengard.  
  
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Xavier grimaced as he opened his eyes, the wind rustling through his gray robes as he stood, seeing where he was. High atop of the tower of Isengard, with no way down. His staff was gone, and he could barely stand, leaning against one of the pinnacles of the tower as he surveyed the wreckage beneath him.  
  
Magneto floated among his troops, orcs and the like, ordering them about as they ripped down trees, tearing their roots out and sending them into the fire, to make weapons of war. Xavier frowned, feeling the trees pain, closing his eyes in remorse as he realized his oldest friend was lost forever to the side of darkness.  
  
Xavier sighed as the rain poured down from above, soaking him to the bone and sending a chill throughout his body as he huddled in his robes, seeking warmth. Xavier sighed, closing his eyes, and sent out his mind with a short, simple message. Please come at once, he pleaded. I have one last favor to ask of you, friend.  
  
Below, Xavier could not see the horror that befell the land beneath him, as trees and the earth itself were ripped apart to fuel Magneto's growing army of orcs and other, more sinister monsters. Magneto floated through his forges, observing the progress of his minions, forging weapons of iron in the forges of Pyro. Then he turned his attention to his favorite experiment. Deeper underground, a savage howl erupted from the earth as it shifted, straining against something within it. A clawed hand shot out, grabbing a hapless orc by the throat and killing him in seconds. Then a second hand emerged as a howling monster emerged, humanoid in shape with dirty blonde hair that flowed down its back and thick, powerful muscles. It stood seven feet tall, at least, and every motion was powerful and fluid, like a great cat. It roared, showing off its massive canines as it howled up into the night sky. Magneto merely smirked.  
  
"I shall name you. Sabertooth."  
  
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Many hours later, Xavier grimaced as Magneto returned, floating up the side of his tower to gaze down at the helpless bald wizard. Xavier tried another psi-barrage, but Magneto now wore a sinister red helmet to complete his armor. The helmet somehow shielded him from Xavier's mental powers, rendering the old man completely helpless as Xavier toyed with him, tossing him around. One such blow shattered his back like glass, and when Xavier tried once more to move and stand before his old friend, he found neither leg could support him. He'd been crippled completely.  
  
"The friendship of Magneto is not easily thrown aside," intoned the armored wizard, his voice sounding hollow and sinister behind his helmet. His eyes glowed golden beneath the metal headgear. "It is over. Embrace the power of the Ring, Charles, or embrace your own destruction!" he shouted, hurling him once more to the ground.  
  
"There is only one lord of the ring," replied Xavier as he struggled to lift himself up, seeing a shadow off in the distance. He was grateful. His true friend had heard him. "And he does not share power!" Xavier managed to crawl over the edge of the tower and fling himself downward, where a giant black raven swooped down and picked him up, carrying them out of the range of Magneto in seconds and to safety.  
  
Magneto could only stew angrily as he watched Xavier escape.  
  
"Then you have chosen death, it seems," he stated coldly. 


	11. Chapter Nine: Rivendell and Reunions

Chapter Nine: Rivendell and Reunions  
  
Rogue sat silently as Xavier related his tale to her, listening to his account.  
  
"I was most fortunate your mother remembered her debts," finished Xavier as his account ended. Suddenly there was a muffled bamf and the scent of sulfur assaulted Rogue's nose as a fuzzy blue demon teleported into the room, smiling down at her.  
  
"Rogue! You're alright!" he said, beaming. Rogue returned the smile.  
  
"Kurt here has rarely left your side," intoned Xavier with a smile. "Not since Lord Hank here managed to heal you," he added, indicating a tall, powerful looking fellow standing in front of her bed, whom she hadn't noticed come in. With a start she recognized him as the elven man-beast from her fever dream, the man with blue fur and eyes older than his face.  
  
"Welcome to Rivendell," he said politely, his arms crossed, his voice gentle, startling her. He seemed too kind and gentle for such a big and obviously powerful fellow, very civilized. Now that her vision was cleared she could see more clearly.  
  
Lord Hank McCoy of Rivendell was a beast in form only, great and blue- furred, with slightly elongated arms and short legs reminding Rogue of pictures of great apes she'd seen in books. Those impressions ended when she saw his face, however. His blue eyes sparkled with intelligence and kindness, and his smile was sincere. He wore the typical gray elven robes of his people, and also an ornate crown of vines in his thick, shaggy blue- black hair. His ears carried the swept back arch of pointed elven ears, and as she glanced between him and Kurt, she gasped. The two had a startling resemblance.  
  
"No, Rogue," Xavier said, answering her unspoken question. "Hank and Kurt are not related."  
  
"Blue just happens to be popular amongst mutants," joked Kurt with a smile. Rogue smiled as well, too weak still to laugh just yet.  
  
Lord Hank and Xavier left as Rogue managed to find the strength to walk again, heading out with Kurt to reunite with Kitty and Tabitha, both of whom had been equally worried about their companion. And there was yet another reunion to commence, as Kurt pointed out an elderly blue-skinned lady sitting on a nearby bench, writing in a book.  
  
"Mystique!" shouted Rogue as she embraced her mother again, noting that her mother seemed much, much older now than before, her flaming red hair orange and tinted with gray, her skin covered in wrinkles here and there, mostly around her eyes and lips. Now she truly looked her age, but she also looked so whole and happy.  
  
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"I wanted to wander back along all the old trails from my youth," said Mystique, talking to Rogue in a private moment the two of them were sharing. "See the mountains, the hills, the trackless woods, perhaps even the Lonely Mountain again. But old age, it seems," she added with a wry smile as she sat down alongside Rogue. "Has finally caught up to me."  
  
"You managed to save Xavier," pointed out Rogue.  
  
"I did indeed, but that required all of my remaining strength. I can barely shape shift anymore, my child," she said, giving Rogue a pat on the head. "I would be content to live out the remainder of my days here. And. I am sorry for what happened to you, Rogue. Having to leave our home and all."  
  
"Ah do miss Bayville," Rogue said with a sigh. Mystique patted her on the back. "Ah remember most of mah childhood ah wished I was somewhere else, off with ya'll on one of your adventahs. Mah own adventah turned out quite differently. Ah'm sorry, Mystique. but ahm not like you."  
  
"My dear child," said Mystique, giving Rogue another pat on the back. No words were spoken, but Mystique knew that Rogue was more like her than she could possibly imagine. More like the foolish shapeshifter who'd been dragged out of her nice hobbit-hole in the company of thirteen dwarves and a bald wizard to "burgle" from a dragon.  
  
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"That wound will never fully heal," remarked Xavier as he and Hank peered down through a building opposite the one Mystique and Rogue occupied. "She will bear the scar to the end of her days."  
  
"And yet to have brought the ring so far," replied Hank. "The young Rogue has shown considerable resistance to its evil, it would seem."  
  
"It is a burden she should never have had to bear. We can ask no more of her," replied Xavier, tapping one of the runes on his wooden chair. Elven magic allowed the chair to move, allowing Xavier to rest his useless legs. His staff lay in a holster attached to the chair's back, within easy reach.  
  
"Xavier," said Hank, crossing his arms and his tone still gentle. "The enemy is moving. The forces of Apocalypse are gathering. His eye is fixed on Rivendell. And Magneto now you tell me has betrayed us. Our list of allies are growing thin."  
  
"His treachery runs deeper than that, old friend," intoned Xavier gravely. "Magneto has found gems that bring out the enhances mutant abilities of orcs and humans alike. Worst still, he's crossed orcs with goblin men. He's breeding an army. An army of orcs that can walk in sunlight, cover great distance at speed. Magneto is coming for the ring"  
  
"This evil cannot be concealed by the elves," replied Hank, equally grave. "We don't have the sort of strength to fight both Mordor and Isengard. The ring. can't stay here."  
  
Xavier sighed as he moved his chair to the window, taking some comfort in the surround lands. To his surprise, he noticed a party of newcomers. Not elves, either. One large human, armored in black and gray, his brown bangs coming down long in front of his face who dismounted, looking about with an expression of arrogance. Alongside this came elves of the east, dark skinned and blonde haired, three dressed as Hank and the other elves here, one, a young boy, dressed in yellow tunic, breeches and belt, a bow slung over his back. More slowly came the next party, a trio of dwarves, dark haired and long bearded, and between them a short, stout fellow with wild, dark hair in black. Unlike the other dwarves, his beard had been cut, and he only had a short stubble.  
  
"The fate of the ring concerns all of Middle-Earth," intoned Hank solemnly. "I have summoned others so we can determine what is to be done. The time of the elves is over, Charles. My people are leaving these shores. Who will you look to, once we're gone? The dwarves? They hide in their caves, digging for riches, they care nothing for others."  
  
"It is in men we must place our hope," replied Xavier as he regarded his old friend.  
  
"Men?" scoffed Hank, turning his back to Xavier and walking deeper into the tower. Xavier tapped another rune on the chair, following. "Men are unsuited for this, Charles. They've grown weak in this new age. The blood of human order is all but spent, its pride lost and forgotten. It is because of men that the ring was allowed to survive. You forget, Charles. I was there. I was there three thousand years ago. I saw the strength of men fail.." Hank went on, losing himself in his memories.  
  
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An army ten thousand strong marched against Mordor, humans and elves united in a common cause against the coming darkness. In the midst of their perspective sides, Nathaniel Summers and Hank stood and waited.  
  
And then the orcs came.  
  
Thousands, millions of the bloodthirsty monsters, rushing towards the defenders of Middle-Earth. Hank shouted the orders in elvish, his first rank of archers dropping down to re-load their arrows as the third rank shot over their heads, whizzing past their ears.  
  
Hank growled, holding back, having yet to undergo the transformation that would turn him into the Beast many years into the future. Now he was more elf, strong and agile to be sure, but no moreso than his companions. As the orcs neared the elves remained firm, swinging their two-bladed spears with precision and grace, driving back the horde as the Hank gave a battle cry, leaping forward. His elven warriors followed behind, and alongside fought the humans of Genosha, armed and ready to fight, their broadswords flashing in the meager light cast by Mount Doom.  
  
Then both sides paused as the orcs retreated, and Apocalypse came upon the battlefield.  
  
Apocalypse strode with dread purpose towards the defenders, the one ring glowing bright red upon his finger as he took step by step closer to them. Apocalypse was huge, easily twelve feet tall, twice the height of the humans, and thickly muscled. His black armor was trimmed in blues and royal purple, his eyes glowing a baleful yellow under his thick brow, his gaze one of pure malevolence.  
  
En Sabah Nur stretched out his hand, and a massive wave of brilliant violet energy surged forth, scattering men and elves alike to the winds, shattering their bones and sending their bodies flying through the air. Apocalypse grinned, striking a blow now at the humans, kicking their leader aside. Nathan rushed to his father, picking up his blade, but Apocalypse stomped down on it, shattering it into pieces.  
  
Undaunted, sure he would die, Nathan swung with what remained of the blade and, mercifully, it sliced through Apocalypse's fingers, which flew to the ground, the ring still attached. Howling in pure rage, the dread lord screamed in rage as his body glowed a brilliant white, shattering, armor falling here and there, his blackened skull landing very near Nathaniel as he quickly picked up the ring and the finger that still held it.  
  
"Nathan!" yelled Hank over the battle, sheathing his sword and offering Nathaniel a hand to help him up and guide him. "Follow me, hurry!" Hank lead Nathaniel Summers deep into Mount Doom, the one place where the ring could finally be destroyed, yelling over the clash of thunder and roar of molten lava.  
  
"Cast it into the pit!" he yelled, glancing back at Nathan, who's eyes glinted strangely as he caressed the ring. Hank feared the worst. The ring was already influencing Nathaniel. "DESTROY IT!!" he roared.  
  
"No."  
  
"SUMMERS!!" roared Hank, as Nathaniel turned and, without a glance back, left Mount Doom, taking the ring with him.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hank sighed, opening his eyes, remembering all from his many long years on Middle-Earth. He'd changed a great deal in the centuries since then, but his eyes had truly altered. Once they'd been sky-blue. now they held the hard tone of ice. They reflected all the time, pain and sorrow he'd seen in his long life. "Men cannot help us. They are scattered, divided, leaderless," he added finally. He did not speak harshly, but truthfully.  
  
"There is one who could unite them," replied Xavier, his expression still calm.  
  
"He turned from that path a long time ago," replied Hank, frowning. He knew full well of whom Xavier referred to. "He has chosen exile instead."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Cyclops paused his reading, glancing up as he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching. To his surprise, it was one of the visitors, the human in black and gray armor, wandering the halls. The strange warrior paused by one of the elven paintings, admiring it. Cyclops knew it well. A depiction of the final battle between Nathaniel Summers and En Sabah Nur.  
  
Frowning, the strange warrior turned to face Cyclops, perhaps having sensed him somehow. Cyclops well knew how a warriors intuition could alert them to danger before their senses registered it. Frowning further, the warrior tilted his head, examining Cyclops.  
  
"You're no elf," he finally spoke.  
  
"Men of the south are welcome here," replied Cyclops, inclining his head respectfully.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"I am friend to Xavier the Grey," replied Cyclops, carefully giving his new ally no real information, and certainly not his name. Among men, it tended to bring a great deal of unwanted attention.  
  
"Then we're here on common purpose. friend," added the warrior, shifting his attention away from the strange, concealed eyes of Cyclops, eyeing now instead the broken sword of Nathaniel. Frowning, he lifted it up reverently, testing the hilt, admiring how light and strong the blade was, idly running a finger along the blade. "The sword that. cut the ring.. from Apocalypse's hand. ah!" he exclaimed softly. He'd been admiring the edge, when he'd cut his own finger, not expecting the sword to have remained in such good condition after three millennia of idle use.  
  
"Still sharp." he said, frowning, glancing back at Cyclops. He shivered a little inside, but was determined not to show weakness in front of those red lenses. "But its no more than a broken heirloom," he added, tossing the hilt aside and leaving the chamber. Cyclops watched him go, standing and making his way slowly to the hilt, placing it back reverently alongside the other shards, bowing respectfully in honor of the weapon. He felt, rather than saw, Jean walk in behind him.  
  
"Why do you fear the past?" she asked softly. "You are Nathaniel's heir. Not Nathaniel himself. You are not bound to your ancestors fate."  
  
"The same blood flows through my veins," he replied softly, eyeing his own hands, then turning to face her. "The same. weakness."  
  
"Your time will come," she said mysteriously. "You will face the same evil. And you will defeat it. The shadow does not hold sway yet," she added in elvish. "Not over you, not over me."  
  
Jean smiled softly, wishing to comfort Cyclops as she led him to a secluded part of the elves garden, smiling at him. She'd exchanged her bright green traveling clothes for a more comfortable white gown, which contrasted sharply with her flaming red hair, though she knew Cyclops would admire such beautiful, simple clothes. In his eyes, all was crimson, colorless, but still beautiful in its own way.  
  
"Do you remember when we first met?" she asked, still speaking in elvish.  
  
"I thought I'd stumbled into a dream," he replied, rubbing the back of his head. Remembering. It'd been just after he'd tumbled out of a tree, knocking himself on the back of his head. It was then that he'd lost control of his power, his mutant abilities to shoot ruby light from his eyes. The elves had taken him in, cared for him even as his wounds healed. Hank had even bestowed upon him the great gift of his ruby spectacles, which allowed him to finally re-open his eyes. And the first person he had seen that day had been Jean, Hank's niece.  
  
"Long years have passed since then," she said softly, caressing his face. "You did not have the cares you carry now. Do you remember what I told you?"  
  
"You told me," he said softly in common, speaking from his heart now. "That you'd bind yourself to me, giving up your immortal life so you could live with me always."  
  
Jean smiled, placing her hands over Cyclops's. To his vast surprise, when he opened his fingers, he found Jean's crystal necklace in his hands. The Evenstar. He looked up at her in surprise.  
  
"You cannot give me this," he said softly, trying to offer it back to her.  
  
"It is mine to give," she replied, smiling up at him. "As my heart is" 


	12. Chapter Ten: Fate of the Ring

Chapter Ten: Fate of the Ring  
  
Finally, it was time for the council.  
  
All were gathered, the foreign guests, Hank and Xavier, and Rogue seated alongside Xavier, and Cyclops to the side. To save trouble, introductions had been made all around, and all would speak the common tongue to save confusion between the different races.  
  
"Friends of Middle-Earth," said Hank, beginning the council. "You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-Earth stands on the bring of destruction. This threat affects you all, not one of you will be safe from it. You will unite or you will fail. Rogue. please bring out the ring."  
  
Rogue stumbled, watching in fear at being in the presence of such well- respected and honored individuals, she almost stumbled, but she gathered her strength and drew out the ring, laying it down on the small stone table between all concerned. All members of the council, save Hank and Xavier, leaned in to get a better view of the beguiling ring. The strange warrior of the south, whom Cyclops recalled from the night before, seemed particularly fascinated by the golden ring.  
  
"It is a gift," he whispered, seemingly to himself. Then he stood, moving before the others of the council. Rogue remembered he'd been introduced as Lance Alvers of Genosha, known amongst his people as the Avalanche. "A gift to the foes of Mordor! My friends, my people of Genosha have long defended you against this evil. Are not your lands kept safe by our sacrifices and bloodshed? Give Genosha the weapon of the enemy," he pleaded, facing more towards Hank than the others. "Let us use it against the dark lord!"  
  
"You cannot wield it," intoned Cyclops softly, his voice carrying. All eyes now turned to him where he sat. "None of us can. The ring of Apocalypse answers to him alone."  
  
"And what," replied Lance, turning to face him with a sneer. "What would a ranger know of such things?"  
  
"He is no mere ranger!" said one of the dark-skinned elves, rising to his feet, the youngest of his party, his hair cut short and close to his head. Rogue recalled this ones name. Evan Daniels of the western elves, famous amongst both his people and men as one of the greatest archers who ever lived. "You address Scott Summers, Son of Christopher. You owe him your allegiance."  
  
"Scott. Summers?" asked Lance, glancing back at Scott, who remained calm through the exchange. "Nathaniel's heir?"  
  
"And heir to the throne of Genosha," added Evan.  
  
"Sit down, Evan." asked Scott in elvish, waving his hand placidly, hoping to dispel some of the tension in the air. Lance glanced at Scott, almost accusingly.  
  
"Genosha has no king," he said haughtily as he sat down once more. "Genosha needs no king."  
  
"It is true," intoned Xavier, breaking the silence. "We cannot wield this ring."  
  
"You have but one choice," said Hank, gazing out over the assembled council members. "The ring must be destroyed."  
  
"Then what're we waiting for?" growled the beardless dwarf, known only as Logan. Growling he raised his fist and three sharp iron claws shot out from between his knuckles. With a mighty swing brought it down before any could react, so shocked they were by both his daring and the sudden appearance of his blades. A shattered sound echoed through the air, and Rogue felt a swift pain fly through her as she watched him attack the ring. Yet when all could see again, Logan had been thrown to the ground, and the ring... was unmarked.  
  
"Ring can not be destroyed that easily, Logan," said Hank with something of a smirk on his face. Logan stood as he went on, managing to keep what remained of his dignity intact. "It can't be broken or melted by any means we here possess. The ring was forged in Mt. Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you has to take it there."  
  
And there was silence.  
  
"One does not simply walk into Mordor," said Lance, breaking the silence. "The black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. And the great eye of Apocalypse is ever watchful. The land itself is barren, ash and fire. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. Its insane."  
  
"Have you heard nothing Lord Hank has said?!" demanded Evan hotly, jumping to his feet once more. "The Ring must be destroyed!"  
  
"I suppose you think you're the one to do it?!" growled Logan, coming over to Evan, standing nose to nose (or as close as their height difference would allow) with the elven archer.  
  
"And if we fail, what then?" shouted Lance, also rising to his feet. "What happens when Apocalypse takes back what is his?!"  
  
"I will be dead before I see the ring in the hands of an elf!" shouted Logan. And with that proclamation, the entire council dissolved into havoc, everyone shouting, arguing. Hank sighed, sitting back in his chair and waiting with typical elven patience, while Scott watched from the side, his expression unreadable as the entire council was reflected from his red glasses. Rogue, however, found herself drawn to the ring, hearing a soft, harsh whisper coming from the cold metal. It seemed to be prophesizing the end. And in the cold metal she could see reflected the shapes of all those at the council. destroyed, burned and lost.  
  
"Ah will take it!"  
  
Rogue barely realized the words had left her mouth, but they had. And she meant them wholeheartedly. This was her task. "Ah will take it!" she repeated, and one by one the council turned to look at her, watching her in amazement. "Ah will take the ring ta Mordor. Though." she added, once again nervous in the company of such larger and more important people than herself. "Though ah do not know the way."  
  
Xavier smiled, tapping a rune and making his way over to Rogue, smiling. "I will help you bear this burden, Rogue Darkholme," he said softly, resting a hand on her shoulder. "As long as this burden is yours to bear."  
  
At this Cyclops, no. Scott Summers finally rose, making his way towards Rogue through the council and kneeling down, placing himself at her eye- level. "If in life or death, I can protect you, I will," he said, smiling at her, and she didn't need to see his eyes to know he was sincere. "You have my eyes."  
  
"And you have my spikes," added Evan, making his way alongside Scott.  
  
"And my claws!" added Logan, making his way over between Evan and Scott, scowling heavily, as it daring any to tell him he couldn't go. And then, Lance made his way over to the gathering group.  
  
"You carry the fate of us all, little one," he said softly. Then added in a louder tone, for all to hear, "If this is indeed the will of the council. then Avalanche will help see it through."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
A burst of light accompanied by a 'bamf' and the smell of sulfur appeared next to Rogue, and then Kurt stood beside her, his chest puffed out, his arms crossed in front of his chest, trying to look determined. "Rogue's not going anywhere without me," he proclaimed.  
  
"No indeed, seems highly impossibly to separate you two," said Hank with something of a smirk. "Even when the Rogue is invited to a secret council, and you are not."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Hey! We're coming too!" shouted Kitty as she and Tabitha phased through the nearby building wall and rushed in, standing alongside Kurt as they looked up at Hank for permission. "You'll, like, have to tie us up in a sack and send us back to stop us!"  
  
"Yeah. Anyways," added Tabitha. "You need people of intelligence on this sort of. mission. quest. thingie."  
  
"Guess that rules you out, Tabby," said Kitty, giving her a nudge to shut her up.  
  
"Nine companions," said Hank, truly smiling now. "So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."  
  
"Great!" said Tabitha. Then she added, "Where're we going?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Later that evening, Hank found Scott in the gardens as the remainder of the Fellowship outfitted themselves for travel, bidding farewell to their friends and arming themselves for the dangers ahead.  
  
"I suspected I would find you here," said Hank as he approached Scott, deep in thought before a statue.  
  
"She. she wanted to protect me," he said, indicating the statue before him. The statue of his mother, one of the few non-elves honored with such statues in Rivendell. She'd died trying to take Scott here, just before his accident.  
  
"She hoped you would be safe here," said Hank. "But she knew that you'd be hunted all your life, and you could not escape your destiny. Scott. the elves have the skill to re-forge the Sword of Kings. But only you can wield its power"  
  
"I do not want that power" he replied, his voice cold. "I have never wanted it"  
  
"Sometimes power is given to you" Hank said, giving Scott a pointed tap on his ruby spectacles, reminding him of the power hidden behind them. "What you do with it, is what it makes of you. For this power, the Sword of Kings, you are the last of that bloodline. There is no one else"  
  
Scott sighed, lowering his head, and it was a long while before he spoke again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"My old sword, Sting," said Mystique with a smile as she unsheathed it, handing it to Rogue. They had once again retired to her quarters to ready Rogue for the journeys ahead. "You remember this, don't you my child?"  
  
"Yes. so light." replied Rogue in awe, testing the weapon.  
  
"Yes yes," said Mystique, smiling. "Made by the elves, you know. Not very good at distilling liquors. but they make excellent weapons. The blade glows green when orcs are near. And it is times like that, my child, that you have to be extra careful. And here, this as well," she said, picking up some fine silver chainmail, exactly Rogue's size, for she and Mystique had very similar builds. "Mithril. As light as a feather. and as hard as dragon scale. Here, let me see you put it on my child."  
  
Rogue smiled, pointedly unbuttoning his blouse, but pausing as Mystique gasped, following her gaze. The ring, on a chain, around her neck. Unwittingly, she'd brought Mystique into close proximity with the ring once more.  
  
"My. my old ring." said Mystique, gazing at it lovingly. "I. I think I should very much like to. to hold it again, please." Rogue frowned, her expression worried as she slowly buttoned her blouse back up, concealing the dreaded ring from view again before Mystique was again affected by its evil.  
  
Mystique suddenly growled, her eyes glowing gold and her teeth and claws growing long and pointed as she grabbed for the ring and Rogue, who leaped back in shock. Mystique growled but stopped midway, a look of horror on her face as she realized what she was doing and stopped, her body returning to normal as she shivered, stepping back.  
  
"I. I'm sorry Rogue," she said, turning away and sitting down. "I. I'm sorry for everything." Mystique started, for the first time that Rogue had ever seen her, to sob, openly crying. Rogue, understanding better than most the burden her mother had gone through, gently lay a comforting hand on her shoulder as she cried for her daughter.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Finally, the Fellowship was ready, all armed and armored, outfitted and ready to travel. Lord Hank and the elven people had gathered one last time to see them off.  
  
"The Ringebearer is setting out on a quest to Mount Doom. Those who go with him, no oath or bond is laid to go further than such is desired. Farewell, and may the blessings of elves, and men, and all free folk. go with you," he said, bowing low as they made ready to leave. Scott and Evan returned the bow in elven custom, and the Fellowship were off. Only Scott lingered, his eyes on Jean as she watched him go, and he gave her a heartfelt smile as they made their way out of Rivendell and into the wild.  
  
"Which was is it to Mordor, Xavier?" asked Rogue softly. She did not wish to falter in the eyes of her companions.  
  
"Left," he replied, equally soft, making his way just behind her, still seated in the chair Hank had given him. As Rogue neared the fork, she hesitated. The way to the right seemed so much more peaceful, warm, the trees alive and welcoming. The path to the left seemed dark and foreboding, filled with shadows. With great reluctance, she made her choice.  
  
Left. 


	13. Chapter Eleven: Hill and Mountain

Chapter Eleven: Hill and Mountain  
  
The Fellowship made good time as they traveled eastward, follow Xavier's guidance towards the Misty Mountains, as he'd once led Raven and thirteen dwarves many years ago. There, they hoped to pass through the Rohan pass and then directly west towards Mordor.  
  
Several days passed as they neared the mountains, making camp briefly for dinner on a high hill, surrounded by broken stones all around. Kurt was busy cooking some sausages, and Rogue was keeping an eye on him, ensuring their hard earned meal didn't suddenly "teleport" its way into his blue stomach. Nearby, Kitty and Tabitha were receiving swordsmanship lessons from Avalanche, who'd taken the two young ladies under his wing and was determined to show them the skills of the trade, so as to better defend themselves. Scott watched nearby the fight, quick to offer advice. Xavier and Evan stood off to the side, resting themselves. Logan kept watch, his keen senses better attuned to the earth.  
  
"Move your feet," said Scott as Tabitha parried blows from Lance's sword, her skill having grown considerably in the past few days.  
  
"Very good, Tabby," he said. "Now, Kitty. faster!" he said, making a few quick slashes at her, while she blocked gracefully, then giggled as she purposefully missed one such slash, startling Lance as the sword swung neatly into her (for he'd pulled his blow) and then back out as she phased, the blade not so much as leaving a mark. Lance grimaced, but nodded.  
  
"That's one way, I suppose."  
  
Logan grumbled to himself, making his way over to Xavier, who was deep in thought, sitting in his chair. "If anyone was to ask me," he said pointedly, gaining Xavier's attention. "I would say we were taking the long route around. Chuck... it'd be simpler to pass through the Mines of the Morlocks? My old friend, Callisto, would give us a grand welcome."  
  
Xavier frowned at this, a chill running down his spine as he replied, "No, Logan. I would not pass through the mines of the Morlocks unless I had no other option."  
  
"Again!" came the voice of Lance, interrupting their conversation before Logan could argue further with Xavier. This time both Kitty and Tabitha rushed Lance, who skillfully parried both and knocked Tabitha to the ground. Chuckling, he made his way to help her up but she sprang to her feet, and she and Kitty both tackled Lance, knocking him to the ground. Chuckling to himself, Scott made his way to help them up, but Kitty and Tabitha knocked him to his feet as well, helping him join in the fun.  
  
"For Bayville!" both girls shouted, and they all burst out laughing at this. Rogue looked on with a smile on her face, glad to be surrounded by such friends.  
  
Nearby, Logan frowned. He'd spotted something. A dark shape moving through the air. "What is that?" asked Kurt, noticing it as well.  
  
"Nothing," replied Evan. "Just a cloud."  
  
"Its moving fast. against the wind," observed Lance.  
  
"Birds from Isengard!" shouted Logan, his keen eyes identifying them much more quickly than his companions.  
  
"Everyone, take cover!" shouted Lance.  
  
"Hide!"  
  
Everyone scrambled, quick to cave cover behind the rocks, Logan assisting Xavier, Kitty and Tabitha diving behind one such rock, Rogue, Scott and Lance behind others. Evan slipped behind a large one, bringing up his bow and readying himself should he need it. Kurt quickly poured water on the fire to extinguish it and then quickly 'ported himself alongside Rogue, safely out of sight. Mercifully, the birds passed swiftly overhead the small party. After a few moments, they emerged once more into the open.  
  
"Spies of Magneto, the passage south is obviously being watched," said Xavier gravely as he emerged, carried by Logan, brushing off his gray robes as he seated himself once more in his wooden chair. "We must take the pass through the high mountains," he said, indicating the snowy peaks.  
  
The Fellowship journeyed onward, trudging through the thick, cold snow up the mountain. At one point, Rogue stumbled, falling forward into the snow. When she stood up once more, she clutched her hand to her bosom, suddenly realizing a great weight had been lifted. The ring was gone. Before she could find it, however, Lance turned and pointedly picked up the chain upon which the ring dangled, admiring it as it twirled in the light. Scott, behind Rogue, and Xavier, in front of them, paused, waiting to see what would happen. The others trudged onwards.  
  
"How strange we should suffer so much, that we should risk our lives for such a tiny thing," said Lance, tapping the ring very lightly with his finger. "Such a little thing."  
  
"Lance," came Scott's commanding voice, one his hands straying very lightly to his ruby glasses. "Return the ring to Rogue."  
  
Lance paused, frowning. For a moment he hesitated, then with an arrogant smirk tossed the ring back to Rogue, who caught it gratefully. "As you wish," he said, with a mock chuckle and a pat on Rogue's head. "I care not."  
  
Scott relaxed, loosening his grip on both his glasses and his sword-hilt as the party continued onward, Rogue sliding the ring once more around her neck on its chain, following alongside Xavier. As the journey continued, the mountain slopes grew colder and more treacherous, covered in ice and broken stone, and Xavier was forced to the front to lead them through the treacherous pathways of the mountains.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
In Isengard, black birds flowed throughout the vast network of tunnels as they made their way to the red-armored, white-cloaked wizard Magneto, who frowned under his helmet.  
  
"So, Charles," he spoke to himself as he floated along, up through the tunnels. "You lead them through the snowy peaks. And if the mountain defeats you. will you risk more treacherous routes?" Magneto smirked, and floated himself up atop of his tower, stretching out his arms. Red energy pulsated throughout his body as the tower enhanced his magnetic power, and he stretched out his hands.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As Xavier watched in horror, boulders suddenly shifted, knocking down whole piles of snow down upon the Fellowship, damn near missing them as it cascaded downwards, and the wind picked up. Xavier frowned, narrowing his eyes and stretching out his mind. Magneto was behind this, he was positive, but he could not reach him. His mind was still shielded. Rocks tumbled down from the top of the mountain, rocks laced with iron ore, controlled by the Master of Magnetism as they slammed hard into the ground in front of the Fellowship, blocking their path even as snow poured down from above, all but burying them.  
  
Evan resurfaced moments later, helping Xavier to keep from burying his chair or being overturned.  
  
"We must turn back!" shouted Scott over the howling wind as he blasted his way through the snow in front of him, replacing his glasses quickly. He couldn't risk destroying the boulders themselves, or the entire mountain might well rain down on their heads. Nor could Lance risk it.  
  
"NO!" shouted Xavier, determined to his way through. He would not risk the lives of the Fellowship needlessly. He would fight Magneto. But the fight was, from the very beginning, rather one sided. Xavier was losing.  
  
"We must get off the mountain!" shouted Lance over the wind, brushing aside snow to help Kitty to her feet, wrapping his own cloak around her to keep her warm. A shaking and grumbling nearby revealed Logan, unharmed or cold, but still irritated that he'd nearly been buried alive as he shook himself off like a wet dog, ridding himself of the clinging white snow. "This weather will be the death of the women! We should head south, through Genosha! We can take the passage to my city!" shouted Lance over the storms howl.  
  
"Genosha passes far too near Isengard!" retorted Scott.  
  
"There is one passage that is safe!" said Logan, breaking into their argument, pressing against his idea. "The Mines of the Morlocks! If we can't go over this bloody mountain, let's go under the damn thing!" Xavier frowned, still concentrating. He couldn't reach Magneto's mind to attack him, but he could only hear Magneto's thoughts as his once-friend spoke to him. You know, don't you, Charles? came Magneto's cold, metallic voice. You know what waits for you in the Mines of the Morlocks. You know what they awoke deep down in those caverns. Fire. shadow. and steel. Xavier frowned, shivering no longer from the cold but from fear, glancing back at the Fellowship, and realized that Scott and Lance were both right, they couldn't proceed on. Yet to risk the Mines...  
  
"Let the ring bearer decide," he said, indicating the sullen Rogue, shivering in the cold, her cloaked wrapped tightly around her slight frame. After a moments thought, she quickly decided.  
  
"We should travel to the Mines of the Morlocks. We cannot stay here on the mountain."  
  
"So be it." 


	14. Chapter Twelve: Morlock Depths

Chapter Twelve: Morlock Depths  
  
The Fellowship left the mountains all too eagerly, traveling swiftly back and around the side of the mountains, across a dark lake as they neared the entrance to the Mines of the Morlocks. Rogue walked alongside Xavier.  
  
"How is your shoulder doing, Rogue?" he inquired.  
  
"Better than it was," she replied evenly, still sullen, her expression dark.  
  
"And the ring?" he asked more softly. Rogue started, glancing at Xavier in alarm. "You feel its power growing, don't you Rogue? I've felt it too. You must vigilant. Evil will be drawn to you from outside the Fellowship. But also. from within'," he added more quietly at Scott made his way past them, paying no attention to their conversation.  
  
"Who do ah trust then?" she asked, her green eyes wide and fearful.  
  
"You must trust yourself, Rogue," he replied, as they continued onward. At one point, Xavier paused, running his fingers along the sheer stonewall before him.  
  
"What're you doing?" inquired Rogue. The eerie moonlight reflected off the surface of the lake and against her pale skin, casting weird shadows over her face.  
  
"Searching for the door," he replied. Logan following alongside him, sniffing for dwarven scents, tapping his knuckles against the sheer stone wall.  
  
"Dwarf doors," he explained. "Are undetectable when closed."  
  
"There own masters," added Xavier pointedly. "Cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten."  
  
"That's a surprise," remarked Evan. Logan could only grumble in response, and Evan wisely refrained from further wise-cracking. Xavier suddenly paused, running his fingers upon a sheer part of the wall, covered in very faint, near invisible runes, analyzing their nature. As he did, the moon came out from behind the clouds, illuminating the previously hidden runes, revealing a now clearly visible door, covered in elvish writing.  
  
"It reads," he translated for the Fellowship "The doors of Callisto, Queen of the Morlocks. Speak, friend, and enter."  
  
"Vhat does that mean?" asked Kurt, tilting his head in confusion.  
  
"Quite simple," Xavier replied. "If you are a friend you speak the password, and the doors will open." He gestured dramatically, then intoned a few short words in elvish. To his surprise, the door did not open. He tried again, with similar results.  
  
"Nothings happening," observed Tabitha. Xavier scowled at this, tapping his knuckles against the door, concentrating. Trying to remember the old passwords. "What're you going to do?" she asked, her high-pitched voice beginning to grate on Xavier's nerves as he replied evenly.  
  
"Knock your head against these walls, Tabitha Smith. And if that does not shatter the stone, it will at least allow me peace so that I might think." Tabitha grimaced, blushing as she recognized the not-so-subtle message and shut her mouth, stepping back. Kurt frowned, thinking to himself. Suddenly he vanished in a flash of life and a muffled "bamf", only reappear against the stone wall above the door, clinging to the wall like a spider, frowning to himself.  
  
"Vhatevers with this door, I can't teleport inside," he said as he leaped gracefully down. Kitty frowned as she made her way over to the door, placing her hand against it and pushed, concentrating. She shook her head.  
  
"I can't phase through it either."  
  
"The doors of dwarves are designed to stand against any sort of attack or probing," intoned Logan, frowning despite himself. "My ancestors did a thorough job."  
  
"How fortunate for us," stated Evan dryly, as he made his way over to an outcropping and waited for Xavier to remember the password. Kurt and Scott made their way to the packhorse, taking what they needed and setting it back on its route back to Hank and Rivendell. Kitty and Tabitha has meanwhile decided to keep themselves amused by tossing stones in the lake, though Lance quickly put a stop to that. Rogue frowned, peering up at the massive stone door, thinking to herself. Then an idea struck her.  
  
"It's a riddle."  
  
Behind the Fellowship, the dark waters stirred, as something moved about underneath them. Something. big.  
  
"Speak friend, and enter," she repeated the phrase, then turned to Xavier. "What's the elvish word for friend?"  
  
"Maelok," replied Xavier without thinking. To his vast surprise, the doors immediately opened with a loud creaking sound. The Fellowship gathered, preparing to enter, Xavier pointedly pulled out his staff, placing a white gem in its tip and ran his hand over it, bringing light from the pale stone.  
  
"Soon, Porcupine," boasted Logan as he walked alongside his taller, dark- skinned companion. "Soon you shall enjoy the finest pleasures of the dwarves. Roaring fires, red meat. This is my best friends palace. And they call it a mine."  
  
"This is no mine," replied Lance in horror as Xavier's light illuminated the hallway. "It's a tomb." And Lance spoke the truth. All around lay the bodies of armored warriors, long gone skeletal, pierced with arrows. The bodies of slain dwarves of all shapes and sizes. Logan could only look on in horror as Evan pointedly withdrew an arrow from one of the bodies, examining it.  
  
"Goblins," he confirmed. The Fellowship quickly drew their weapons, withdrawing to the entrance, watching for enemies, not knowing that yet another sinister enemy was rising behind them.  
  
"We shouldn't have come here," said Lance, standing alongside Scott, their swords glowing in the light of Xavier's staff. "We make for the gap of Rohan."  
  
Suddenly Rogue shrieked in horror as a slithery tentacle grabbed her ankle, hoisting her up and into the air over the lake, as some huge leviathan of many tentacles grabbed her. The Fellowship quickly turned to aid the ringbearer. The water surged to life with tentacles as Scott and Lance rushed into the water, swinging their swords, Logan right alongside them, his claws out and swinging. Scott growled, taking careful aim into the water and letting loose a quick burst of ruby-red light from his eyes, quickly replacing his specs. Lance growled darkly, stifling a curse, unable to use his own powers against an aquatic opponent.  
  
Evan frowned, narrowing his slanted eyes in concentration, unslinging his bow. Then he held out his hand, and a bony spike shot out from his open palm, narrow and long, showing why he carried no quiver on his back. Quickly he loaded the makeshift arrow, taking aim and firing at the tentacle that now held Rogue suspended over the water upside down as she screamed for aid. Quickly he fired again, and again, taking care not to injure Rogue. Quickly Scott fired off another blast at the beasts tentacle, catching Rogue as she fell and carrying her off quickly before the beast could recover. Lance shouted for Evan, who aimed carefully at the creatures now visible eyes and jaws and hit it perfectly on the mark, causing it to rear back in pain.  
  
"Into the mines!" shouted Xavier, leading the remaining members deeper inside, out of reach of the tentacles of the beast as Scott and Rogue rushed passed. Lance growled, raising his hand and clenching his fingers around open air, his eyes rolling back into his head as the ground shook, and the entrance collapsed, crushing the few tentacles of the monster that had broken through, as it howled in agony outside. The Fellowship was safe. safely buried alive.  
  
For a long while, no one spoke, only caught their breath in the darkness. Finally, the voice of Xavier the Gray pierced the darkness, even as his staff once more brought light. "We have but one choice now," he intoned, giving Lance a knowing look. "Through the Mines of the Morlocks. Be on your guard. there are older, more dread things down here than orcs. Quietly now. it is a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope our presence will go. unnoticed."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The company traveled on in silence, no one willing to speak, least of all Xavier or Lance. Xavier feared what was to come, and Lance was ashamed of loosing his anger and destroying the entrance in his haste. The others didn't speak, but he could tell they blamed him for his mistake.  
  
Xavier paused briefly at one passage, pointing out a silver-white vein in the wall. "The Morlock Mines were not valued for gems or gold," he explained. "But Mithril. Raven, Rogue's adopted mother, possessed such, made into chain mail armor, given to her by a dwarven lord."  
  
"A kingly gift," intoned Logan in awe as he walked along.  
  
"Indeed. I never told her it, but it was worth more than all of Bayville," Xavier went on. Rogue frowned, thinking back to her gift from Mystique. how long ago it seemed now. But to give such a valuable thing to her. It truly showed how much she cared. As the going got much steeper, Logan was forced to pick up and carry Xavier on his back, while Tabitha and Kitty lugged along his enchanted chair, hoping they could be able to use it much later.  
  
At one point during the climb, Xavier came across three marked tunnels, and frowned, pausing as he thought to himself, unsure of which way to go. Deciding he needed a long time to ponder such, the party made a brief camp, tucking away what little food they could in the time allowed. But Rogue felt uneasy as she made her way to the edge of the tunnels, and glanced back. To her surprise, she saw a shadow moving behind them. Quickly she made her way to Xavier.  
  
"There's something down there," she said softly, hoping not to alert their sinister pursuer.  
  
"It is Toad," Xavier replied calmly, his expression still one of deep concentration as he worked out the puzzle before him.  
  
"Toad?"  
  
"He's been following us for three days now."  
  
"He escaped the dungeons of Lazarus?"  
  
"Escaped?" asked Xavier, turning now to face Rogue more fully. "Or was set loose? The rings power draws him near. he will never be free of his need for it. He hates, and loves the ring. Even as he hates and loves himself. Todd's life has indeed been a cursed one. Oh yes," he added, noting Rogue's confused look. "Todd. Todd Tolenski he was once known as, before he found the ring. Before it drove him mad."  
  
"A pity Mystique didn't run him through when she had the chance," replied Rogue with a look of disgust. Xavier's frown, however, only deepened.  
  
"Pity?" he replied curiously, raising a gray eyebrow. "It was pity that stayed her hand. Pity and mercy. Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life. can you give it to them?" he asked softly, his face showing once more just how careworn and old Xavier truly was. "Be not so quick to judge, Rogue. Even the wisest among us cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Toad has some part to play yet, be it for good or evil."  
  
"Toooaadd.." came a sickly, gurgling noise from down the tunnel, and then the skulking shape vanished from view once more.  
  
"Ah wish the ring had never come ta me," said Rogue softly as she sat down besides Xavier. "Ah wish none of this had evah happened."  
  
"So do all who live through such dark times, but that is not for us to decide. All we need decide now, is what to do with the time we have left to us," said Xavier softly. Rogue sighed, lowering her head in self- depression. And then, unexpectedly, Xavier's face lit up. "Ah. its that way," he said with a smile, pointing down the left tunnel. The others quickly moved to follow him.  
  
"You remembered?" asked Kitty. Xavier smiled again, but shook his head. "No. but the air doesn't smell as foul coming down this way. Remember, when it doubt, trust your nose," he said with a smirk, tapping his aforementioned olfactory organ.  
  
And the fellowship continued onward.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Finally they emerged in the halls of the Morlocks, towering columns of stone easily fifty stories high, in a vast underground chamber. The others could only look on in awe at the sheer size of everything. They walked through the columns in awe, making their way onward. At one point, however, Logan paused, gave a cry of shock. The others turned as he made his way to the side, into an adjacent room, guarded by the bodies of dead dwarves.  
  
"Lucid. Scaleface. Calliban." he said, examining the bodies, recognizing his friends even in death, their armor guiding him, if their misshapen bones could not. The Fellowship followed quietly behind him. "No.!" he said in shock, rushing forward into the nearby room, then collapsing at the sight of its contents: yet more dead dwarven Morlocks, and a single stone sarcophagus. Xavier quietly made his way past Logan, who sunk to his knees in front of the sarcophagus, a single tear running down his cheek.  
  
"Here lies Callisto," he translated the runes on the stone block. "Queen of the Morlocks. She is dead then." Logan howled, his cry echoing off the walls as the other companions enter the small room. Xavier pointedly handed his staff to Tabitha as he picked up a book, still clutched in the gigantic skeletal hands of one of the defeated Morlocks, a tiny girl by the looks of her remains. Frowning, he flipped through the passages, reading, trying to find out what had happened here.  
  
"We shouldn't linger here," said Lance softly, glancing about. Something about the place gave him cold shivers. The earth seemed. dark. Evil. Filled with malevolence.  
  
"They have taken the bridge," intoned Xavier, translating the book, which seemed a journal of sorts. "And the outer hall. We have barred the gates. The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. Shadow moves. We cannot get out. they are coming."  
  
As Xavier finished his morbid reading, a sudden clatter ran through the air as Tabitha, examining the skeleton of a dwarven Morlock sitting atop of a nearby air-shaft, reached out to touch its hand. To her surprise, the skeleton's head fell off at the sudden movement, down the air shaft and deep down into Mines, causing a great deal of racket. Tabitha blushed hotly as she turned back to the others, then to her further chagrin the remainder of the skeleton, as well as a metal chain wrapped around its foot, fell as well, causing still more noise.  
  
"So much for the stealth portion of our plan," whispered Kurt, careful not to draw attention to himself.  
  
"Fool of a Smith," he grumbled Xavier, as he pointedly closed his book and placed it aside, snatching his staff back from Tabitha. "Toss yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity," he said in dark tones. And then, they all heard it. Drums. Drums beating. Kurt shivered, then turned to Rogue, who drew Sting and it was glowing green brightly, illuminating the elven runes.  
  
"Orcs!" she said softly. Cursing, Lance made his way to barricade the door, glancing outside, narrowly managing to pull his head back as an arrow shot out at the door, missing his head by scant inches. He grumbled as Scott and Lance barricaded the door with axes.  
  
"They have a Sentinel with them," he stated in dry tones. Despite his tone, he and the other warriors shivered. A Sentinel was truly not a danger to be underestimated.  
  
"Have the women gather 'round Xavier!" shouted Scott, taking charge of the situation as Kitty, Rogue and Tabitha clustered around Xavier, drawing their swords. Kurt reluctantly drew his own, while Evan shot a spike out of his arm and took aim with his bow, Scott placing one hand on his ruby spectacles and taking aim as well, Lance nearby, sword and shield out. He dare not risk using his powers again. it could easily cause a cave-in and bury them all.  
  
"RRAAAARRRGGH!!" roared Logan, leaping atop of Callisto's stone sarcophagus, giving an animal-like roar that sent shivers down everyone's spine. Growling he crossed his arms in front of his chest, then swung them wide and unsheathed his adamantium claws. "Let them come! There is yet one dwarf in the Morlock tunnels who draws breath!"  
  
For a few short, terrible moments, nothing happened. Only the pounding of the door could be heard as the orcs sought to enter. Evan and Scott made ready to shoot at the first one they saw, waiting. waiting.  
  
Finally the orcs broke down the doors, and arrows flew through the air straight at them, knocking down the first wave in seconds as Scott and Evan blasted them away in quick, decisive shots, tearing holes their chests with spikes and ruby energy. Then, the first wave was upon them, and they fell back, changing their tactics as Scott drew his sword and joined Lance in the fray, while Evan growled, yet more spikes popping out of his body as he took the battle to the orcs. Kurt howled a war-cry of sorts and he, Kitty, Tabitha and Rogue rushed forward, swinging their swords, doing their best to remember Scott and Lance's training as they ripped and slashed their way between their attackers.  
  
Tabitha grinned as she leaped backwards, cupping her hands, filling them with her deadly time bombs and tossing them this way and that, sending explosions that knocked orcs off of their feet and to the ground, even if it failed to kill them outright. Kitty and Rogue made excellent progress as well, effectively team-working to take down orcs, keeping a guard over Xavier, who would been unable to defend himself.  
  
Kurt grinned, slashing this way and that, using his considerable agility to leap upwards and over his foes, or out of the reach of their weapons as he attacked. Soon, however, a booming noise came from the doorway and a shadow fell over Kurt as a behemoth of death, the sentinel, lumbered in.  
  
The sentinel was a dark monstrosity indeed, towering at least a dozen feet into the air, made entirely of black and red irons, its eyes glowing golden from set within its head, which seemed small compared to the rest of its body. It seemed at once too small and too large, spiny and muscular, but the others didn't doubt its power for one instant as it swung its massive arm down against the blue mutant Kurt.  
  
Kurt teleported quickly out of the way, slashing at the automatons legs from behind, but his blade couldn't bite into the steel armor of the machine, and it turned around, backhanding Kurt against a nearby wall and to the floor. Scott grimaced as he saw Kurt's danger, grabbing the chain that hung from the sentinel's neck and giving a tug with all his might, causing the lumbering machine to turn its attention towards him, its eyes glowing cold yellow death.  
  
Logan growled like an animal, grabbing the dagger strapped to his side and hurling it with all of his strength at the sentinel, striking the behemoth's shoulder. Sparks flew from the beast as it charged forward on powerful legs. In cold persistence, the sentinel swung now at Logan, who leapt off of Callisto's sarcophagus moments before it shattered into a thousand chunks of worthless stone. The sentinel continued after Logan, swinging its chain, but struck its own orc companions more often than Logan, who dodged and spun, leaping gracefully out of the way of the deadly weapon.  
  
A spike shot through the air at the sentinel, bouncing off its iron torso, now drawing its attention towards Evan as he stretched out his arms, tossing his bow aside as sharp spikes, big and small jutted all over his body, making him look for all the world like a porcupine with pointed ears and an attitude. Evan stretched out his hand and drew out a long, thin bone spear, using it to pole-vault himself atop of sentinel, shooting spikes out of his body and into the sentinel at close range. Disoriented and overwhelmed, the sentinel spun around, throwing Evan from him, who rolled to safety. But now the sentinel turned its attention to the women, and to their horror its arms and shoulders stretched out, and bright light surged from its torso. It blasted quick bolts of blue-violet energy at them, causing them to scatter, Rogue leapt to the left behind a column, Kitty and Tabitha to the right, behind another. The sentinel, going after Rogue, grabbing her leg and physically hauling her out, forcing her to drop Sting as she called out for aid.  
  
"Rogue!" shouted Scott, taking careful aim as he removed his glasses again, shooting at the sentinel's back. To his surprise, the blast barely knocked the sentinel over, let along seriously hurt it. He'd expected to have punched a hole through the automaton's back. Thankfully, however, its grip was released, and Rogue stumbled free of the Sentinel's grasp. The Sentinel, with cold, mechanical persistence, grabbed for Rogue again. Scott grimaced, picking up a spear from one of the defeated orcs and charging at the Sentinel, impaling it in what served the automaton for its the stomach. The Sentinel backhanded Scott out of the way as it removed the spear and used it itself, impaling Rogue!  
  
The world seemed to slow down.  
  
Rogue gasped in pain as the spear struck her, Xavier and the others watching in horror. Logan leapt atop of the Sentinels back, keeping it distracted as it sliced at the sentinel's head, riding it around the chamber, beating it atop of the head, trying to damage the cold iron monstrosity. Tabitha growled at the sight of her injured friend, cupping her hands one over the other. The biggest, brightest time-bomb she'd ever created surged to life inside of her hands.  
  
"Logan!" she shouted, her plan clear in an instant. Logan leaped down and with his massive strength and razor-sharp claws ripped a hole in the back of the sentinel's armor, and in that instant Tabitha hurled her bomb into its back, while Logan leapt to safety, rolling along the ground and out of harm's way, re-sheathing his claws so he couldn't slice himself in the roll. An explosion rocked the room as the sentinel exploded, showering the room in black and red sentinel armor, all of which sparked bright blue. It head landed near Kurt, who stumbled out of the way, watching in morbid fascination as the yellow eyes dimmed and then went dark. The behemoth had been defeated.  
  
. but at what cost?  
  
"Rogue!" shouted Kurt, teleporting instantly to her side, checking her injuries. The other members of the Fellowship, all beaten and bruised, but for the most part uninjured, gathered around. To his surprise, when Kurt moved to shift Rogue onto her back, she groaned in pain, brushing her hair out of her eyes as she usually, did.  
  
"Its ahlright. ah'm fahne," she said, grimacing.  
  
"You should be dead," said Scott in awe. Rogue grimaced, smiling just a little as she undid the front of her blouse, revealing what lay underneath. Mithril chain mail, her gift from Mystique.  
  
"Mithril." whispered Logan in awe. "You're full of surprises, Stripes." The heartfelt moment was cut short as howls echoed through the air, and yet more orcs could be heard.  
  
"To the bridge of Khazam-Dum," said Xavier. 


	15. Chapter Thirteen: Fire and Shadow and St...

Chapter Thirteen: Fire, Shadow and Steel  
  
Xavier lead them on, pushing the speed of his wooden chair to its limit as he and the others rushed back into the hall, Evan and Tabitha right alongside Xavier. Kurt bounded after them on all fours, moving faster from his new stance, Rogue alongside him, Scott, Lance and Logan guarding their rear. The tunnels were rapidly filling with the black shapes of goblins and orcs, teeming through every tunnels, through cracks in the earth and along the columns like black ants. Soon, much to their horror, the Fellowship was surrounded, lost in a sea of orcs, armed to the teeth and ready to shed blood.  
  
A loud booming sound, however, caused the orcs to watch in horror as red light poured through the nearby tunnels, and Xavier could only watch in horror, his worst fears realized. The orcs fled in mass, vanishing as the Fellowship watched, confused, but still fearful, watching this approaching new evil.  
  
"What foul sorcery is this?" asked Logan in a deathly soft voice, coming alongside Xavier, his razor-sharp claws still out. Xavier did not reply at once, only bowed his head in depression, the sounds of the approaching monster echoing throughout the tunnels of the Morlocks. This was why Xavier had feared to take the ring into the Morlock depths. But what was done, was done. Finally, Xavier gathered his strength, raising his head.  
  
"The Juggernaut," he whispered softly, as the red light shifted, and their yet unseen menace drew closer. "A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. RUN!"  
  
The Fellowship needed no further urgings as they made all haste, following Xavier away from the Juggernaut, moving swiftly through the hallway of the Morlocks into the underground bridges. Behind them, the Juggernaut howled, its booming voice echoing throughout the tunnels even as the Fellowship fled the great tunnels into the bridge network leading them to Khazam-Dum. Deep, down far below them stretched darkness, filled with fire, like the depths of hell. Lance stumbled, nearly cascading headfirst into the Abyss, and surely would have had not Evan grabbed him and hauled him back safely. Xavier grimaced as he and Scott followed the remainder of the party.  
  
"Lead them on, Scott," he said, pointing. "The bridge is near." Scott hesitated, but Xavier was adamant. "Do as you're told! Swords are of no more use here."  
  
The party pressed on, rushing down the stairs and across the bridges, careful not to stray to far to either side as they descended the long stairway. A stairway that unfortunately stopped short and resumed, part of it missing from years of neglect. Undaunted, Evan sprang over gracefully, holding out his arms to Xavier, who was the next to make his way forward. He paused, hesitating.  
  
A roar came from behind them, the red glow growing stronger from the tunnels they'd just left, as the earth shifted. The Juggernaut was growing closer. Reluctantly, Xavier allowed Logan to toss him into the waiting arms of Evan, who set him down gently, taking his chair next and handing it to him. Arrows suddenly pierced through the air, narrowly missing Kurt's toes as they hit the stairway, and yet more orcs had arrived, high up, shooting at them, trying to slow them down for the Juggernaut to finish. Evan growled, readying his bow and spikes and shot one at the orcs, keeping them busy. And unlike the orcs, he made his shots count. One such unfortunate orc fell screaming into the abyss below as a spike piercing its skull.  
  
"Kitty! Tabby!" shouted Lance, grabbing the two girls by the waist as he made his own leap, carrying the lightweight girls as well as himself clear over the stairway chasm. Suddenly the earth shook again, as the Juggernaut roared again, and great stones fell from the ceiling, crashing into the stairway, narrowly missing the fellowship as it widened the gap between them.  
  
"Kurt here," said Scott, not waiting for a reply as he picked up the lightweight mutant and tossed him into the arms of Lance, who caught him and placed him alongside the others, who made room for the next to come. Scott was about to do the same to Logan, but he angrily slapped Scott's hand away.  
  
"Nobody tosses a dwarf," he intoned solemnly as he unsheathed his claws, then made a flying leap, his claws barely catching the opposite end as he hauled himself up, aided by Lance and Evan. Scott was about to grab up Rogue, the remaining member, and leap himself, but the Juggernaut's roar shook the cavern again, and the bridge started to crumble. Quickly Scott pushed Rogue back, making the flying leap himself up the stairs as they vanished under his feet, falling downwards into oblivion.  
  
Now the gap was far, far too wide for Rogue and Scott to jump. And to compile to their worries, a stone boulder dropped behind them, shattering the stairs entirely, and their section began to wobble. back. and forth. This did, however, give Scott an idea. "Lean forward," he said, grabbing Rogue by the cloak to ensure she didn't fall as the stairway surged forward, colliding with the opposite end. Scott and Rogue both were flung into the arms of their companions, and they made all haste down the remainder of the stairway as the stairs behind them collapsed, falling down into darkness tens of thousands of feet below them.  
  
They didn't envy the stairway's fate.  
  
"Quick!" shouted Xavier as they made a sharp turn, past some flaming torches and a dark tunnel. "The bridge is near! Go!" And then the flames surged, and Xavier turned as the others made their way past him. The fires retreated as a single form coalesced between them, a great giant of a man, dark-haired and dark eyed with pale skin, fires burning along his flesh. He was armored, dressed in form-fitting black plate armor that burned brightly, covering his entire body, save his powerful arms and head. His expression was one of pure malevolence, and dark fires burned behind his eyes.  
  
He spotted Xavier, and let out yet another deafening roar, fire pouring from his mouth as he grumbled, taking a step forward after the fellowship, who ran still faster now, the behemoth of death behind them. Scott paused briefly, removing his spectacles and taking a shot at the behemoth, but to his horror the red bolt of energy from his eyes lanced off of the Juggernaut's black armor like it was rainwater, and did not even slow the beast. The others chose wisely not to press their luck, and ran for all they were worth. Quickly they flew across the bridge of Khaza-dur, all but Xavier, who paused one third of the way through, making a very deliberate decision as he turned his chair, making it face the other way, against his foe. He held his staff firmly.  
  
Rogue, who'd paused, watched in horror as the flaming Juggernaut made its way closer, pausing just before the bridge, right in front of Xavier the Gray. "You cannot pass!" shouted Xavier, holding up his staff. The demon growled, stomped his foot and waved its hand, producing a blade out of pure flame. Xavier placed two fingers to his temple, holding out his staff as the tip began to glow brightly, bathing him in blue light. "I am the servant of the secret flame of the heart," he intoned. "Wielder of the powers of the mind, and the ancient flame of Anon. Dark fire will not avail you, flame of Cain!" he shouted at his foe, who swung his sword down to cleave Xavier in two. His sword met the tip of Xavier's staff, shattering in a flash of blue light as the Juggernaut howled in rage. Xavier's eyes narrowed, and the Juggernaut staggered back under the power of the mind-sorcerer.  
  
Go back to the shadows," hissed Xavier to his foe the Juggernaut, who growled darkly, his eyes flashing like fire as he took a huge step forward, the ground shaking underneath him. "You. cannot. pass!!" shouted Xavier, smiting the ground with his staff and sending out a massive psi-blast at his foe, who stumbled backwards, clutching his head with one hand. Rogue and the others watched in relief. Now Xavier could run, and they could all escape. Back into the light, safe from the Juggernaut and the orcs.  
  
However, as they watched in horror, the behemoth growled darkly, its black eyes narrowing in anger as he tilted his body forward, assuming a running stance. and charged. A Juggernaut indeed, unstoppable once set in motion, he would smash through anything in his path. Xavier's frail body wouldn't last a second against such an assault, he'd be trampled in moments, and none of them could do anything about it.  
  
Xavier only smirked.  
  
As the Juggernaut approached, his pounding footsteps cracked the bridge, which collapsed just in front of where Xavier had purposefully struck it, and the Juggernaut, roaring in anger, fell down. With nothing to support its feet, it'd lost, and its own charge had defeated him. Xavier turned to rejoin the fellowship.  
  
. and the Juggernaut's great arm lashed out, grabbing Xavier's leg in its strong fingers and clamped down hard, determined not to let go, unless he took the wizard with him. Xavier was forcibly hauled out of his chair as he grabbed the edge of the bridge of Khazam-Dum, barely able to hold himself up for more than a few seconds, supporting the great weight of the Juggernaut as he was. His chair and staff tumbled down into the darkness beneath them both.  
  
"Xavier!" shouted Rogue, who started to make her way towards him to offer aid. Lance quickly caught her around the waist, preventing her from rushing to her doom. But then Rogue saw the look in Xavier's eyes, and heard his final words.  
  
"Fly you fools." he said. And then his grip weakened, and he fell into the depths with the Juggernaut.  
  
"Noooo!!!!" shouted Rogue, whom Kurt restrained from going further as he dragged the ringbearer towards the exit. Lance and Scott shouted out for Xavier as well, but he was clearly gone. The fellowship, disheartened by the loss of their guide and true friend, barely managed to stumble out of the exit ahead of the orc arrows to the Morlock tunnels and back to the surface. Kurt collapsed against a nearby rock, unable to comprehend what had happened, and down both of Rogue's cheeks tears flowed like two rivers. Lance had to physically restrain Logan (which he managed, barely) from rushing head-first back into the mines to avenge both Xavier and his lost cousins. Scott alone managed to keep his composure.  
  
"Evan, get the map." he said, his voice oddly calm, and he was grateful now, more than ever, no one could see his eyes.  
  
"Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" shouted Lance angrily. He too looked on the verge of tears, but he was far too proud to shed any.  
  
"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs," replied Scott evenly as he sheathed his sword. "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien. Up, Master Kurt," he said, helping the blue boy to his feet, helping comfort as best he could, while ordering them off, on the run again.  
  
The Fellowship had left Rivendell nine. Now, there were eight. 


	16. Chapter Fourteen: Weather Witch

Chapter Fourteen: Weather Witch  
  
As the Fellowship reached the woods of Lothlorien, all seemed to grow silent, all still. Only the sounds of their footsteps could be heard now, as the air hung thick around them. They could all feel the tension, the magic in the air, but could not tell its purpose.. or its intent, be it good or evil.  
  
"Stay close, young Masters," said Logan as he beheld the woods, wary of every passing tree, every sound and scent that filled him with apprehension, keeping close to Rogue and the others from Bayville. They were the smallest and youngest, and he felt it was his duty to protect them. "They say these woods are inhabited by a sorceress. A weather witch, with all the powers of the elements at her command. All who look upon her.. fall under her spell.." he intoned softly.  
  
Rogue..  
  
".. and they're never seen again."  
  
You're coming too close to us.. you bring great evil here, ringbearer, echoed a voice in Rogue's head. She glanced around, but could not pinpoint its source.  
  
"Well this is one dwarf she'll not snare so easily," boasted Logan as he strolled along, alert for danger. "I've the ears of a fox and the eyes of an eagle.." he said, seconds before an arrow found itself right in front of his face, aimed their by an elven archer, dark skinned and blonde haired like Evan. The other members of the Fellowship stopped abruptly as they glanced around, realizing that, in mere seconds, they'd been surrounded, and even Logan hadn't detected their foes until far, far too late. A tall elf warrior stepped forward.  
  
"The dwarf was breathing so loudly," he said calmly, as if talking about the weather, "We could've shot him blindfolded from the opposite end of the forest." Logan growled angrily, clenching his fists, but made no move, not willing to lose his life now, of all times.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The fellowship was lead to a clearing in the woods, where the elves decided their fate.  
  
"Evan, Nephew of Ororo" stated the elven warrior in his native tongue. "You are known to us. As is Scott Summers of Rivendell" Scott bowed respectfully in elven fashion. Logan grumbled.  
  
"Yes yes we've all heard of the courtesy of the elves, so why not speak a language we can all understand?" he rumbled. The elven warrior frowned, speaking briefly in the common tongue.  
  
"We've not had dealings with your kind, beast, since the dark days."  
  
"And you know what I have to say to that?" replied Logan. "Uoy sevle nac ssik ym yriah nevrawd ssa." Scott grumbled, slapping Logan on the shoulder as he leaned in to whisper harshly.  
  
"That was not very courteous."  
  
The elven warrior then made his way to Rogue, frowning down at her. "You carry a terrible evil.. you may go no further."  
  
Scott did not enjoy this, and began to argue wholeheartedly in the elves native tongue, gesturing enthusiastically as he argued on behalf of the fellowship. As they waited for an agreement to be made, Lance made his way over to Rogue.  
  
"Xavier's death was not in vain," he said softly, hoping to comfort the young woman. "I'm sure Xavier would have wanted you to carry on. You carry a heavy burden, Rogue. Don't bear the weight of the dead."  
  
"You will come with me," commanded the elven warrior, ending the discussion. Two days passed as they traveled, finally reaching the heart of the elven city. It was beautiful, yet unlike Rivendell. The beauty of these elven people was different. The same difference between the sun and the moon, even though both gave light. So to were both of the people elven. The companions were led into a palace of shimmering light and pale gold, where an elven lady with snowy-white hair and skin as dark as ebony descended down the stairway, floating above it, her soft feet never touching the ground until she had reached the very bottom. Were she human, she'd been judged to have been no more than two decades old at the most, still young and strong. Her gaze was kind, yet grave with worry. Yet this only enhanced her beauty, and the others, all of them, could only look on in awe. Even Logan seemed affected by the elegant grace of the elven woman. This could only be Ororo.  
  
"The Enemy knows you are here," Ororo stated in a soft, musical tone, forgoing preliminary conversation, a serious breach in elven custom. "What strength you had in secrecy is gone. Yet I count only eight of you, not the nine sent out from Rivendell.. tell me.. where is Xavier the Gray?" she asked softly, her voice musical. With a start, Rogue recognized it as the voice she'd heard in the woods before they'd been ambushed. The voice in her mind. The strange elven ladies eyes met Scott's, somehow seeing through his glasses as her smile faltered a little.  
  
"So.. Xavier has fallen into shadow."  
  
"Shadow and fire and steel, m'lady," replied Evan softly. "The Juggernaut of old, for needlessly did we journey through the Mines of the Morlocks."  
  
"Never were needless the tasks of Xavier in life. We do not yet know his full purpose," replied Ororo softly. "Do not be disheartened, Logan," she added, glancing at Logan, who's heart weighted heavily with the burden of Xavier's death. No one had spoken it, but all know that it was he who'd urged the wizard, against his judgment, into the mines. The kind words of the elven lady seemed to lift Logan's spirit just a little. "For the world now is filled with peril.. and where once was love, now is mingled.. with grief," she added, her gaze no falling on Lance. Lance stumbled, horrified by what he saw within the strange ladies blue eyes, and he turned his head away, overcome.  
  
"What becomes of us now," asked Scott softly, speaking partially to himself. "Without Xavier, all hope is lost."  
  
"No.. the quest now is suspended upon the edge of a knife.. yet hope remains, as long as the fellowship stands true. Do not despair, for you are weary and in need of rest. I bid you welcome to my home."  
  
Welcome, Rogue Darkholme of Bayville.. one who has seen the eye..  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
That night, beautifully eerie music floated throughout the trees as the companions rested, well away from the elven companions, content to remain amongst one another. Evan wandered amongst them, listening to the music, now refreshed and dressed in the robes of his kin.  
  
"What're they singing about?" asked Kurt, curious about the melody.  
  
"Xavier, though I have not the heart to describe it," he replied, giving Kurt a grave look. "For me the grief is still too near."  
  
"I wonder if they have a verse about his fireworks," said the blue demon, half-joking. Scott smiled despite himself, still sharpening his sword. Then he noticed Lance, still off to one side. He hadn't spoken since he'd seen whatever he had in the elf maiden's eyes. Scott made his way over towards him.  
  
"You should rest, friend," he said. "These borders are well protected."  
  
"I'll find no sleep here," replied Lance harshly, his head bowed. "I heard her voice inside of my head.. she spoke of the fall of Genosha, and the death of my father. She said hope remained.. but I can't see it. My.. my father is a noble man, but his rule is failing. He looks to me and the other mutants to fix it, to make everything right. And I try, so very hard.. I would gladly see Genosha rise to a golden age again. Have you ever seen it, Scott? Have you ever seen our home?"  
  
Scott nodded, briefly. "I have seen the white city, once, many years ago."  
  
"One day our path shall lead us there. And the towers shall take up the call, the Lords of Genosha return home," he said with a faint smile. Scott returned it, giving him yet more advice to rest, and then headed towards his own bed to sleep the night.  
  
In the middle of the night, a strange stirring woke Rogue, causing her eyes to snap open. To her surprise, she caught sight of Ororo, gliding gracefully through the air, and Rogue, curious, followed. Ororo knew fully well that the Rogue followed her, and lead her to the seeing mirror, a tiny bowl, resting atop of a stone pedestal. Rogue approached cautiously as Ororo wiggled her fingers gracefully.  
  
"Would you look into the mirror?" she asked softly.  
  
"What'll ah see?" asked Rogue, cautiously. Ororo simply smiled, and gestured. A tiny storm cloud formed, over the bowl, and rain poured out from it, filling the bowl in moments to the brim with cool, clear water.  
  
"Not even the wise can say, for the mirror shows many things.. things that were.. things that are.. and some things.. that have yet to come." Rogue cautiously stood before the pedestal, and peered into the water. For a moment all she saw was her reflection.  
  
Then, images appeared. Images of Evan, Kitty and Tabitha, and Kurt. Another image of her home, back in Bayville. Then another image, darker, of Bayville itself. The water shifted, and the imaged changed to another, a burning village, people being killed and buildings destroyed. Then the hobbits and mutants, including Kurt, Kitty and Tabitha, all chained, all enslaved by the dark orcs. Then the water rippled one final time, and the great yellow eye formed, Apocalypse's eye. The ring slipped from Rogue's neck, dangling towards the water on its chain, and Rogue felt herself drawn it. With a cry, she grabbed the ring and flung herself backwards, landing hard on her back. The images in the water faded, and Ororo nodded sadly.  
  
"I know what you saw," she said, her normally musical voice growing softer and harsher. "For it is in my mind as well." It is what will happen.. if you fail. The Fellowship is already breaking. He will try to take the ring.. you know of whom I speak. One by one, the ring's evil will destroy them all.  
  
"Ah.." Rogue hesitated, fearful, still clutching the ring in her hand. If you ask it off me, she replied mentally, speaking to Ororo from her mind. I would give you the One Ring.  
  
"You offer it freely.. I do not deny that I have longed for this," said Ororo, stretching out her hand towards the ring. "In place of a dark lord.. you WOULD SET A QUEEN," she howled, her voice growing, her eyes vanishing, turning white and pupilless as they glowed with power, and the air picked up around them. "NOT DARK BUT BEAUTIFUL AND TERRIBLE AT THE SAME TIME, AS TREACHEROUS AS THE SEAS! ALL SHALL LOVE ME.. AND DESPAIR!" she howled, gazing lovingly at the ring. Finally, however, the wind died down, and her eyes returned to normal, her voice soft once more. She had not taken the ring.  
  
"I have passed the test," she murmured, her hand dropping back down to her side. "I shall diminish, and journey across the sea, and be content to remain Ororo."  
  
"Ah cannot do this alone," said Rogue softly, lowering her head in shame.  
  
"You are a ringbearer, Rogue," she replied. "To bear a ring of power, is to be alone." Ororo lifted her hand, and on her finger lay a white ring of mithril with a pearl in its center. A ring of power. "This is Nenya, and I am its keeper. This task.. was appointed to you, Rogue. And if you do not succeed.. no one will."  
  
"Though ah know what ah must do.. ah'm afraid to do it," she said, bowing her head meekly. Ororo only smiled, placing her hand lightly on Rogue's head, where her hair shielded the weather witch from her deadly gift.  
  
"Even the smallest gift can change the world," replied Ororo, giving Rogue strength. Rogue's gloved fingers closed over the ring, and she slid it back around her neck on its chain.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Fellowship was properly outfitted, given elvish cloaks to shield them from unfriendly eyes, and lembas, or elven waybread, to provide them sustenance. Earlier in the evening, Scott had been advised by the elves that 'orcs who walked in sunlight' were tracking them. And that traveling by river, leaving no tracks or scent, they would have a better chance to outrun them. Evan smiled as he sample one of the lembas, taking a tiny bite as he smiled over to Tabitha and Kurt. "One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man," he said with a smile, continuing to load supplies into the river. Tabitha smirked as Evan turned away to gather more supplies, tapping Kurt on the shoulder.  
  
"So how many did you eat, Blue?"  
  
"Four," replied Kurt with a blush.  
  
Then came Ororo's gifts.  
  
To Evan Daniels, given was his aunt's own finely crafted bow, worthy of the skill of an elven archer. The bow was designed specifically with the spiky warrior in mind, designed to increase the distance and power of his spike arrows.  
  
To Tabitha Smith and Kitty Pryde, the daggers of elven soldiers, sharp and deadly and feather-light, like Sting. Weapons of ancient warriors, now given to those most in need.  
  
To Kurt Wagner, elven rope, lighter than spider-silk and harder than coiled steel. For one who was not a true warrior, but would doubtlessly need such mundane things for his role that he served in the Fellowship.  
  
To Rogue Darkholme, the light of Ellendel. A glass bauble, which Ororo has claimed would be a light in dark places, where all other lights failed.  
  
Scott Summers could be given no gift greater than the one he already carried, said Ororo, indicating the Evenstar he held, the gift from Jean of Rivendell.  
  
Lance Alvers refused any offers of gifts, unwilling, even afraid, to look the elven ringbearer in the eye for even one moment more. He waited sullenly in the boats for the others to finish.  
  
Logan's gift was the most unusual of all.  
  
"What gift would a dwarf ask of the elves?" asked Ororo as she smiled down at Logan, who (for the first time in his life) could only blush in response.  
  
"Nothing," he replied, his normally glib tongue lost to him. "Except, to gaze upon the beauty of the weather witch one more time," he added. Ororo smiled brightly at this, and Logan, overcome with embarrassment, turned to leave. But paused, and turned back, mumbling. "Well, actually there was one thing.. 'tis a small thing really.. rather silly.."  
  
"What is it?" asked Ororo softly, interrupting his mumblings.  
  
"Just.. one strand of the ivory hair from your head," Logan asked, managing not to stutter or mumble as he made his request. Ororo smiled, and gave him three such strands. Then the Fellowship gathered and bid their farewells, thanking their elvish hosts, as they entered their three elven boats and making there way downstream and onwards on their journey. Ororo bid them one last farewell with a wave of her hand, and Rogue could see clearly Nenya still glittering upon her finger, showing her how all such rings of power were not such a true burden as the one she carried. But that people could bear them. Rogue felt strengthened by their stay in Lothorein, and was ready to finish her quest. 


	17. Chapter Fifteen: The Hunt of Sabertooth

Chapter Fifteen: The Hunt of Sabertooth  
  
As light dawned on Isengard, Magneto and his new servant, the Urukai mutant known as Sabertooth, stood waiting before a window, greeting the light fearlessly. An orc that could walk in daylight. An Urukai.  
  
"Do you know how the orcs were originally created?" asked Magneto as he levitated off the ground around his new servant, who did not respond, facing forward obediently. "They were once elves. Taken by the dark powers. Tortured, and mutilated. And now.. perfected. Whom do you serve?"  
  
"Magneto," came the low growl of a voice from Sabertooth. Magneto nodded, leading the way for Sabertooth as he and the remainder of the Urukai outfitted themselves in armor, readying their swords, helmets, breastplates, all armed for war, all bearing the white hand of Magneto. This particular group was small, and lightly armed, for greater speed. Magneto paused, drawing Sabertooth aside for instructions.  
  
"One of the she-halflings carry something of great value. Bring them to me alive.. and unspoiled. Kill the others."  
  
"Yes, Master," growled Sabertooth. With a howl and a leap, he rejoined his comrades, and the Urukai were off, marching towards the west. Towards the Fellowship, moving swiftly into the woodlands with the endurance and speed of horses, hunting, Sabertooth taking lead, for his keen senses were far stronger than the other Urukai.. and he soon found his prey nearby. He could smell them.  
  
Smell their fear.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As they made camp that first night, Lance watched as a black log made its way downstream along the same course. He'd noticed it all day, following them, its unseen rider clinging to the side, out of view.  
  
"Its Toad," said Scott, confirming his suspicions. "I thought we'd lose him once we reached the river, but he is too skilled a waterman to loose us like this."  
  
"If he leads the enemy to us," replied Lance softly. "He could very easily make the traveling far more perilous." Kurt, listening in on their conversation, shivered at this, taking some of their meal, consisting of waybread, to Rogue, who simply sat and stared off into the darkness.  
  
"Here Rogue, try some.."  
  
"No thanks Kurt," she replied, her eyes still distant.  
  
"Rogue, you're hardly eating, you rarely sleep at all.. don't think I haven't noticed."  
  
"Ah'm alright," she replied, turning her gaze away.  
  
"But you're not, Rogue.. let me help you. I promised Xavier I'd watch over you."  
  
"This is one the one thing ya cannot help me with," she replied, meeting his gaze evenly. "No one can. Please Kurt.. get some sleep. One of us should, at least." Kurt reluctantly agreed, and Rogue managed to nod off later as well. But she awoke later that same night to hear heated argument. She recognized the voices as Lance and Scott. Quietly, she decided to remain still and listen, her head still down.  
  
"We should take the path to Genosha," said Lance. "It is the safer route. Strike at Mordor from a place of strength."  
  
"There is no strength in Genosha that can avail us," replied Scott evenly.  
  
"Have you so little faith in your own people?" asked Lance incredulously. "Yes, there is weakness in Genosha, yes there is some frailty.. but there is courage also. There is honor, if you know where to look. But you refuse to see that.. you're afraid. You've lived your whole life in shadow," he went on darkly. "Denying who and what you are."  
  
"I," said Scott as he turned away from Lance, his expression dark. "Will not take the ring within a hundred leagues of your city.. ever."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The party continued onwards in the morning, making their way downstream past the great statues of the kings of old. Midway through the day, they hit some hard currents, and quickly washed ashore on the opposite end of the river to regain their strength before continuing. Kurt and Kitty quickly set up camp.  
  
"We'll cross the river at nightfall," explained Scott. "Make our way into Mordor from the north."  
  
"Oh, brilliant strategy," said Logan, his voice laced heavily with sarcasm. "Just a simple matter of passing through the mountains that lie to the north. A virtual labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks! One slip and we all fall down to a very painful death. I might be able to walk away from it, but you certainly won't. And after the mountains.. it gets even better! Festering, stinking swamps as far as the eye can see!"  
  
"That," remarked Scott evenly. "Is our road. I suggest you get some rest, Master Logan, and recover some of your strength."  
  
"Recover my...!" grumbled Logan, insulted, as Scott knew he would be. Dwarven pride was all too easily injured, it seemed. Evan made his way towards him, his expression fearful.  
  
"We should make for the opposite shore now," whispered Evan softly. Scott shook his head.  
  
"No, orcs patrol the eastern shore.. we must wait for cover of darkness."  
  
"It is not the eastern shore that concerns me.. but the western. Something draws near," Evan whispered. "I can feel it."  
  
"Hey, like, where's Rogue?" asked Kitty, dropping some firewood she'd gathered. Instantly the others glanced about, seeking the errant ringbearer, Kurt springing to his feet to search for her. She was indeed gone. And Scott noticing something else equally chilling. The shield bearing the mark of Genosha remained, but its owner was also missing.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rogue had made her way inland, through the trees and rocks, admiring the beauty of simple stone statues, even as her mind lay heavy with depression, burdened always by thoughts of the ring. Suddenly she heard leaves shift behind her and turned, but to her relief, or at least partial relief, it was only Lance.  
  
"None of us should be wandering alone," he said, gathering up firewood. Rogue recognized his ploy. Kitty had already gathered wood, Lance merely needed an excuse to talk to her. "You least of all. Everything depends on you. You suffer.. I see it daily. It needn't be so. There are other paths we can walk, Rogue.."  
  
"Ah know what you're gonna say," she said hotly, her expression fearful. "And it would seem wisdom, but for the warnin' in mah heart."  
  
"Warning? Rogue.. we're all afraid here," said Lance, stepping in closer. Rogue pointedly stepped back, out of his reach. "But to let such fear drive us to destroy all our hopes is sheer madness."  
  
"There is no othah way," she replied softly.  
  
"I ask only for the strength to defend my people!" he roared, tossing down his sticks in anger. The ground shook with Lance's anger, as he unwittingly used his gift, and Rogue recoiled from the one known amongst his people as Avalanche. Something was wrong with his eyes.  
  
"If.. you would but lend me the ring," he said, holding out his hand. Rogue stepped back again, twice, keeping distance between her and the much larger human mutant.  
  
"Why do you recoil in terror? I am no thief.."  
  
"You are not yourself," she replied, fearful.  
  
"What chance do you think you have?" asked Lance, his voice growing colder, sinister. "They will catch you, and take the ring.. and you will beg for death before the end!" Rogue shivered, his voice echoing her own thoughts, but she was determined to hear no more, and turned away, heading back towards the safety of the camp.  
  
Lance roared. "Fool!" he shouted, lunging at Rogue. "It is yours save by chance! It should be mine, give it to me!!" he roared, wrestling Rogue to the ground, who struggled, grasping the ring in her hand and slipping it 'round her finger. She vanished instantly from Lance's view, who received a kick suddenly to the side of his head and was knocked aside. Rogue made good her escape. Lance, thwarted, growled.  
  
"I see your mind," he said, speaking to Rogue, though she was no longer within hearing range. "You would betray us to Apocalypse! Curse you, hobbit!" he roared, thrusting out his hand, sending a might tremor through the earth and causing a nearby tree to collapse to the ground. "Curse all your kind!" he roared, trees collapsing all around him as his eyes rolled back into his head and the earth quaked, sending tremors all around and bringing deep crevices in the ground. "CURSE YOU!!"  
  
In one final cry of anger and pain, Lance stumbled under his own earthquake, falling to his feet, and then started to cry. "No.. what have I done..? Rogue.. come back! A madness seized me.. but it has passed! Rogue, COME BACK!!!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rogue stumbled quickly through the woods as she felt the tremors of Avalanche's anger, stumbling over newly opened crevices and fallen trees towards the top of the hill. Where she saw it, again. The yellow, demonic eye of Apocalypse, always watching, waiting for her to use the ring and its power. Quickly Rogue stumbled backwards, yanking off the ring as she fell onto her backside yet again.  
  
For a second a black shadow passed over her, searching, but passed overhead, and vanished in the sun's light. She was safe once more from the evil of Apocalypse.  
  
"Rogue?" came a new voice. For a moment she hesitated, but then Scott's ruby-red spectacles came into view, and she relaxed, but only a little. All the fellowship was susceptible to the evil of the ring. Scott and Lance perhaps moreso than the others, but all none-the-less.  
  
"It has taken Lance," she said softly.  
  
"Where is the ring?" asked Scott, and Rogue shivered, recognizing the tone in his voice. It is the same as Lance's had been moments earlier.  
  
"Keep away!" she said, scrambling to her feet and keeping distance between her and Scott.  
  
"Rogue, what's wrong? I'm here to protect you."  
  
"Can yah protect me from yoself?" she asked hotly, her expression grave. Scott stumbled, not having expected such a question as he inched his way towards Rogue. "Would you destroy it..?" she asked, bringing forth the dread object, holding it out in her hand. Scott, upon seeing it, hesitated, reaching out as if to touch the dread thing.  
  
Scott too, could sense its power. It called out his name, promising him the strength he needed. To vanquish Apocalypse, to defend Genosha, to rule all of Middle-Earth, as was his destiny. As was his right.. he was the heir to the Throne of Genosha. All he need do is take the ring..  
  
Finally, however, he smiled at Rogue, placing his hand over her gloved one, and closing her hand over the ring, refusing her and the ring both. The price for such power was too high.  
  
"I would have gone with you to the very end," he stated, giving her a gentle kiss on the top of her auburn head, where her hair safely protected his lips from her deadly skin. The kiss was more for her benefit than his. He'd known practically since they'd met that Rogue harbored feelings for him. They had shared a bond, but his heart belonged to Jean. If they never met again, Scott wanted to give her this one final parting gift.  
  
"Ah know," she replied, equally soft. Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes as she smiled back at Scott. "Look after the othahs.. 'specially Kurt. He won't understand what ah must do."  
  
Scott nodded silently, smiling back, and for a few brief moments they simply stood there. Then suddenly Scott turned around in shock, his keen senses registering danger, then back to Rogue, who still needed his protection. She gasped, drawing Sting a little ways out of its sheath, and to her horror it was glowing green.. very brightly. Orcs were very near indeed. "Run," said Scott, giving her a gentle shove as he turned to face the source of the sounds.. orc warriors, yet not orcs, walking in broad daylight. Urukai, armed and armored, ready to do battle. Rogue ran as fast as her legs could carry her.  
  
Scott Summers, Son of Christopher, known to some as Cyclops, Nathaniel's heir, did not hesitate. He drew his sword, Anduril, the Sword of Kings, giving the Urukai a salute as he held it before him, waiting for them to make the first move.  
  
The Urukai surged forward, and Scott parried the first warrior, swinging out his sword and decapitating the hapless fellow, then swung around to parry the blow of the next one. Through it all, the Urukai leader, Sabertooth, watched, hanging back for the moment. Scott turned, parried, thrust and counter-attacked, heedlessly throwing himself into the press of the Urukai soldiers, then falling back just as quickly, using the terrain and the stone ruins to his advantage as he took them on in twos and threes, all the while looking for an opening. The Fellowship had surely heard the sounds of battle by now, and would be moving to aid him.  
  
"Find the Halflings!" roared Sabertooth, taking a great leap up into the air and landing in the branch of a nearby tree, surveying the landscape with his keen senses as his warriors continued to do battle with Scott. Urukai surged past Scott in the direction Rogue had gone, even as Evan and Logan finally arrived, joining in the battle with the Urukai. Logan threw one of his daggers, all but cleaving an Urukai's head in half as Evan popped a spike and quickly shot it through one of the Urukai, using the momentum to follow through the body of a second just behind his unfortunate companion.  
  
Rogue rushed down the hill as Urukai pursued her, while Scott and the others did their best to slow their pursuit. Rogue stumbled, out of breath for the moment, and hid behind a tree as the dimwitted Urukai warriors surged past her. Kitty and Tabitha arrived nearby and, noticing their companion in distress, beckoned her over to a fallen log.  
  
"Rogue!" they half-whispered, not wishing to alert the Urukai. "Come here quick.. hide!"  
  
Rogue didn't budge.  
  
"What's she doing?" demanded Tabitha, her dagger in one hand, a charged time-bomb in the other. Rogue, however, could only shake her head, her expression one that spoke volumes.  
  
"She's.. she's leaving us," whispered Kitty, coming to the abrupt realization.  
  
Tabitha started to leap up to grab Rogue and draw her back, but her motion alerted the Urukai above to their position. Kitty grabbed her, glancing briefly at Rogue as a plan formed in her mind.  
  
"Hey! Like, over here you stupid morons!" she shouted at the Urukai, bringing their attention to the two young women. Tabitha quickly picked up on her plan, waving her arms around and tossing off some of her time-bombs, the explosions bringing their attention far more swiftly as the Urukai surged down the hillside like fire ants, and Kitty and Tabitha ran for their lives. Rogue, grateful, turned and ran the opposite way, down the hill, back to the shore and the boats.  
  
"Its working!" shouted Tabitha over the commotion, mindlessly tossing more of her bombs behind her at the oncoming Urukai.  
  
"I know its working, run!" retorted Kitty, taking her own advice and running like mad through the surrounding trees, and sometimes phasing straight through them to save time, running for all her worth. But alas, the Urukai quickly closed in on the two short-legged women, surrounding them from both sides. Both were exhausted from using their gifts too long, and it was difficult for them to properly concentrate. A large axe- wielding warrior quickly ran at them, and Kitty closed her eyes, preparing for the pain to come.  
  
But it didn't.  
  
Kitty opened her eyes in shock as steel met steel, and she saw to her vast relief Lance in front of the approaching Urukai, fending them off, one hand outstretched to the left side, causing a rumbling through the ground that knocked Urukai to their feet, his sword quick to finish off any that got within reach. Kitty and Tabitha swung their daggers, aiding Lance as they fought on, now knowing a chance for life still existed.  
  
Elsewhere, Evan, Logan and Scott were just finishing up their own Urukai warriors. Logan had unsheathed his adamantium claws, and Evan springing spikes from his arms, forming a arm-guard as he twirled and spun, the two working together, slashing away mercilessly at the servants of Magneto. As they finished, however, a blaring, mournful sound echoed through the hill and woodlands. A horn.  
  
"The horn of Genosha," said Evan breathlessly, already on his feet, rushing towards the sound. Logan and Scott quickly finished their own opponents, then raced after Evan towards the source, Lance and the others doubtlessly.  
  
Unfortunately, the Urukai followed the sound too, and all too soon Lance and the two girls found themselves enmeshed in a sea of unfriendly faces and deadly weapons. Still, they fought on, the two young women using Lance's training to the best of their ability to fend off the attackers as Lance kicked and slashed and stabbed, holding them off for a little while longer as he blew his horn a second time.  
  
Unnoticed by the others, Sabertooth leapt down from the trees, landing gracefully on his feet as he unslung a black bow from his back, notching a huge, wickedly barbed black arrow.  
  
Lance turned to parry a blow from an Urukai swordsman..  
  
.. Sabertooth shot his black arrow..  
  
.. and impaled Lance, right through his heart. All was silent in the woods, as Kitty and Tabitha watched in horror. Lance started to drop to his knees, but found the strength to stand again, and swing his sword once more at the approaching Urukai. A second arrow shot through the air, hitting his side, causing yet more of his bright, red blow to flow out of his body. His sword fell from his lifeless fingers, but he growled, his eyes rolling back into his head as he thrust out his other hand, and the waves of approaching Urukai were knocked back as the earth quaked beneath him. The Avalanche was not defeated yet.  
  
Finally a third arrow pierced Lance's chest, near the first, shot again from the grinning Sabertooth, knocking the hapless defender onto his back, nearly dead, unable to stand or fight any longer, his strength gone. The rumbling subsided, then died away, and Urukai quickly regained their footing. Enraged by the loss of their friend, Kitty and Tabitha surged forward, daggers up high, but they were quickly overpowered by the much larger, stronger Urukai, and taken prisoner. They surged pasted the fallen body of Lance, even as he breathed, believing him no longer a threat. Only Sabertooth remained, grinning as he deliberately made his way closer to Lance, notching one final arrow and taking careful aim between Lance's eyes, who watched sadly, unable to have done what he'd desired and protect the girls. He'd failed.  
  
Suddenly a call echoed throughout the woods, and a bright red ray of light lanced through the still air, slamming clear into Sabertooth's chest and hurling him backwards into an oak tree, which shattered from the force of the blow.  
  
Sabertooth growled as he regained his feet, seeing his warriors had already moved on with the halflings, and three warriors: human, elf and dwarf, stood before him.  
  
Scott replaced his glasses, his hand moving to the hilt of Anduril, but Logan placed his hand over Scott's.  
  
"No.. he's mine.." he growled, making his way forward. Sabertooth growled angrily, and the two foes began to circle in earnest.  
  
"You're very foolish to fight me alone, runt," he growled.  
  
"We'll see.. but you shouldn't have taken those kids, bub.." he growled, popping the claws on one his hands, holding it out as Sabertooth growled like his namesake.  
  
"Why's that?"  
  
"'cause.. it really ticks me off!" roared Logan as he leapt at Sabertooth, and the two began their battle in earnest, claws swinging through the air, clashing against one another as the two warriors fought. Logan was flung to the ground by one such blow from the brute Sabertooth, but he quickly drew his dagger and jabbed it hard into the beasts' leg, causing him to roar in pain. Sabertooth kicked Logan aside, drawing out the blade with deliberate slowness, even as the wound he'd inflicted healed. His wounds closed as fast as Logan's had. Regeneration.  
  
"You've gotten a lot uglier since we last fought, Creed!" roared Logan, unsheathing his other set of claws and crouching low for an attack.  
  
"I've also gotten a lot stronger!" roared back Sabertooth, and the two clashed again. For a moment, they seemed evenly matched. Both were highly trained, both could recover from any wound that was not immediately fatal. Logan's claws were longer, and gave him a slightly better reach, but Sabertooth's claws were shorter and faster. For a second they were dead even, locked in each other's deadly embrace.  
  
Finally, it ended. The adamantium claws of the Wolverine sliced Sabertooth's arm clear off, and then quickly impaled his opponent with the other pair, straight to the heart. But this did not hamper Sabertooth, only enraged him as he grabbed Logan's arm, drawing himself forward to give a final death roar into his face, his great canine's flashing like his namesake. Logan drew back, swung himself around, and decapitated Sabertooth, sending his yellow-maned head flying off in the distance as his body collapsed, finally dead. Logan sunk to his knees, exhausted. 


	18. Chapter Sixteen: Breaking of the Fellows...

Chapter Fifteen: Breaking of the Fellowship  
  
As Logan finally managed to stand, Scott made his way past him towards Lance, who still clung to life, though feebly. His wounds, Scott could tell, were clearly mortal, he was already growing pale and cold.  
  
"They took the little ones," he said, coughing up blood.  
  
"Be still, friend," said Scott, easing Lance back, hoping to ease his passage into the next world, as the elves had shown him.  
  
"Where. where is the Rogue?"  
  
"I let her go."  
  
"Then," said Lance with a brief smile. "You did what I could not. Forgive me, Summers. I tried to take the ring from Rogue."  
  
"The ring is beyond our reach now."  
  
"I am sorry. I have failed you all," said Lance, grasping Scott's hand.  
  
"No," replied his companion. "You fought bravely, Lance Alvers."  
  
"The world of men is doomed to fall, and lay in ruin. promise me you will not let this happen, Nathaniel's heir," he said darkly, grabbing Scott's shoulder. Scott frowned, placing his hand over Lance's, doing his best to comfort his fellow warrior.  
  
"I don't know what power I have left, but whatever I do, I will use. I will not let the white city fall," he swore. Lance's breathing quickened as he glanced to his side, where his sword had fallen from his still fingers. Scott understood his silent request, placing Lance's broken sword in his hand, who clutched it to his chest as he died, breathing a final "Thank you. my king" as his eyes grew lifeless and his chest still. Scott gently closed his eyes, lowering his head.  
  
Evan arrived moments later, followed by Logan, who looked like he'd been through hell. His black clothing was ripped and torn, though most of his wounds had started to heal already, and would close before soon. They remained respectfully silent, already sensing what had happened. All around, Urukai bodies littered the ground, testaments of Lance's brave final battle. Scott then rose, his eyes meeting theirs, and they all lowered their heads in mourning of the Lance Alvers of Genosha, the Avalanche.  
  
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Rogue watched the waters, holding the ring in her hand, back at the campsite. No one else was within sight as she spoke quietly to herself. "Ah wish the ring had never come to me," she said quietly, tears streaming down her cheeks. Now she fully understood the Lady Ororo. All bearers of rings of power were truly meant to be alone. Off in the distance she could hear Kurt's voice as he called out for her, and she could tell her was getting closer, but she didn't wish to risk his life. So she gathered up her strength and boarded one of the white elven boats of Lothlorien, setting off towards the far shore.  
  
Kurt arrived moments to late on the shore, calling out to her.  
  
"Rogue!"  
  
"No Kurt! Go back!" she whispered back at him. She knew he'd be able to hear her. and she hadn't the heart to yell back at him.  
  
"Ah'm going to Mordor alone!" she shouted. He seemed ready to teleport himself, tensing himself up, but cringed upon hearing her voice. "Don't teleport, Kurt Wagner, or I'll rip off your tail and hang you with it!"  
  
"Let me come with you!" he yelled back, making his way closer to the very edge of the water, careful not to touch it with his feet. He had little doubt Rogue was lying when she made that threat. Then, despite his better urgings, started to make his way into the river, wading towards Rogue, who watched him in shock.  
  
"Yah can't swim!" she shouted, as Kurt did his best to keep afloat. Despite her early convictions, Rogue reluctantly grabbed Kurt's three- fingered hand as he neared the boat, helping a wet, soaked blue demon up, who watched Rogue with sad yellow eyes.  
  
"I made a promise, Rogue. and I aim to keep it."  
  
Rogue, despite herself, smiled, giving Kurt a hug. Then the two of them set off for the far shore, where Kurt, once a good deal from Rogue, shook himself dry, looking for all the world like a puffball, and Rogue smirked at the sight of his ruffled blue fur, causing Kurt to blush.  
  
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Evan, Logan and Scott arrived back at the campsite just as Kurt and Rogue vanished into the trees on the far shore, carrying the body of Lance. Reverently they placed it in their spare elven boat, sending it down the river with his horn, shield and sword. Lance no longer looked troubled in death, but oddly at peace as he floated downstream into the rapids and vanished from view. Evan started to prep their remaining boat to go after Kurt and Rogue, but Scott's expression stopped him.  
  
"We're not going after them, are we?" asked Evan. Scott shook his head.  
  
"Rogue's fate is no longer in our hands."  
  
"Then it has all been in vain," responded Logan, his expression grim. "The Fellowship has failed."  
  
"Not while we still hold true to one another," replied Scott, placing a hand on Logan and Evan's shoulders. "We will not abandon Kitty and Tabby to torture and death. not while strength flows inside of us. Come. gather what you can, leave what can be spared. We travel light. friends. let's hunt some orc."  
  
Evan smirked at this, watching Scott gather his things as he pointedly glanced at Logan, who gave him a grin and started off, Evan a few moments behind him as the three warriors of the three races began their own hunt for the orc warriors and their errant friends.  
  
"I'll betcha I kill twice as many orcs as you do, elf!" shouted Logan. But his snide remarks were no longer hurtful, just a playful ribbing between friends, as Evan well knew.  
  
Which is why he replied, "You're on, friend!"  
  
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Kurt and Rogue climbed high atop one of the nearby mountains, reaching the rocky labyrinth that Logan had mentioned, staring out at the vast expense of terrible mountains towards the flaming peak of Mount Doom, off in the distance. Their destination.  
  
"Mordor. ah hope the others find a safer road," said Rogue softly.  
  
"Cyclops vill watch after them," said Kurt, offering encouragement.  
  
"Ah don't think we're likely to see them again."  
  
"Ve may yet, fraulein," replied Kurt, always the optimist. "Ve may yet."  
  
"Whatever happens," added Rogue as they set off. "Ah'm glad you're with me, Kurt." And so the two set off for Mordor, one carrying the fate of Middle-Earth upon her small shoulders. 


End file.
